Endings and Beginnings
by gw
Summary: What will our heroes do once their quest is over? Features a few surprises that are consistent with the known canon, faithful characterization, character development, fluffiness, and the unintentional consequences of a wish. InuKag, MirSan
1. An Obligation Released

Endings and Beginnings

Note: I obviously don't own the Inuyasha canon and am not making any financial profit from this; if you think otherwise, you're a toad youkai.

Chapter 1

There was a stunned silence during which time itself seemed to slow down. Dark, ominous clouds that had been looming over their common adversary's fortress simply rolled away, revealing the afternoon sun once more.

Even Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru held their tongues, as they and everyone around them waited for some confirmation that what they'd just witnessed was real.

That it was, in fact, the demise of Naraku...and not merely an illusion.

All eyes turned to Miroku, whose heart was racing. Realizing what he had to do, he nervously turned to face away from the others present, and carefully removed the rosary that bound his cursed right hand.

The next thing anyone knew, he'd fallen to his knees in tears. He held up his hand for all to see; the wind tunnel was indeed gone.

Everyone exchanged glances. Everyone, that is, except Sesshoumaru. The taiyoukai merely sheathed his sword, apparently satisfied with the outcome of the spectacular battle, and began walking away.

Inuyasha watched his brother depart. What they'd just accomplished together was so profound, that he couldn't bring himself to provoke him as he normally would have liked to.

A squeaky noise emanated from a well in the courtyard. Moments later, Jaken could be seen frantically pulling himself up in the bucket. Upon realizing that his master was leaving, he excitedly went running after him, crying out, "Lord Sesshoumaru! Wait for me!"

Sango got to her knees and hugged Kohaku, thankful beyond words that her younger brother had survived. Miroku joined the two, still spilling tears of joy for having a new lease on life, his awful consuming curse lifted at long last.

Shippou looked eager to celebrate, and tightly hugged Kirara after she relaxed and returned to her smaller form.

Inuyasha finally sheathed Tessaiga, and turned around. There stood Kikyou looking up at him, her face as expressionless as ever.

"Kikyou...We couldn't have done it without your help."

Kikyou nodded silently. "Inuyasha. Until now, the destruction of Naraku has been my one overriding goal. Now that you have avenged him, I release you from your obligations to me. It is pointless to continue this...ambiguous arrangement between us. You must move forward with your life."

Inuyasha pondered the multiple implications of that for a moment. "What will you do now?", he finally asked.

Kikyou turned her head to face the courtyard's exit, and the dirt path beyond. "I will endeavor to find meaning to my existence, such as it is. To learn, and teach. To make the most of my remaining time."

"Kikyou, I'm...sorry that things ended up the way they did."

Kikyou returned her attention to him. "It is not wise to dwell on what might have been, Inuyasha. Since my resurrection, I have been in a questionable state of mind and being. Our future together died when Naraku first manipulated us. I pray you will find happiness again, the happiness that we were unable to share. Perhaps with my reincarnation. She may not be all that she could have been as a priestess, but...she is worthy of you."

Inuyasha blinked. Off the top of his head, he couldn't remember Kikyou ever having spoken favorably of Kagome before.

Kikyou turned and left in the same direction as Sesshoumaru, followed closely by several of her floating shinidamachu.

Inuyasha was speechless. /It's finally over. She released me. Now I can open up to Kagome./

Kagome was by herself on the ground, too distant to have overheard the conversation, curled up and hugging her knees. Her bow, which she'd just used to pierce Naraku's heart with Kikyou's arrow, thus allowing Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru to defeat him, was laying discarded beside her. She was shedding tears silently but profusely. Tears of happiness, and frustration, and uncertainty, and loneliness all mixed together. She knew that she would soon have to leave Inuyasha and this alternate life in the feudal era behind, and return to her real, mundane life in the modern era.

Never to return. 


	2. Kirara's Secret

Endings and Beginnings

Chapter 2

Inuyasha approached Kagome and crouched down beside her. "Kagome?" His voice was unusually soft, showing a hint of concern.

Kagome finally wiped her cheeks dry, though they didn't stay that way for long.

He hated to see her distraught like this. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy?"

Kagome shook her head. "We can talk about it later. Just...go inside and get the shard." Then she thought to add, "It's not moving," to let them know that it probably wasn't embedded in a demon.

Miroku overheard her. "Lady Kagome, Sango and I can retrieve it. Inuyasha, I suggest that you stay here with her."

Inuyasha figured the monk and demon-exterminator probably wanted a chance to be alone for a few minutes. He gave them a silent nod of approval, and then the two entered the fortress together.

Kohaku joined Shippou and Kirara by the courtyard's exit and waited with them there, conveniently giving Inuyasha and Kagome a bit of privacy.

He adjusted his posture from a crouch to a seated position, and wrapped an arm around her. It was all he knew he could do to calm her down.

She was surprised by his action, but wasn't complaining. She leaned into him.

Holding her did seem to help a bit. "We've got a moment alone," he told her. He hoped she'd explain why she was crying.

She nodded. "The Shikon no Tama is almost complete. Now that we have Kouga's two, after this shard, there's only one more. It won't be long now before we find it."

Inuyasha grinned. "Actually, we already know where that one is. Or, at least, Kaede and Kirara do."

Kagome blinked. "What?"

"A long time ago, while you were sleeping, we gave one of the shards to Kaede to hide, and sent Kirara with her. That way, if the portion of the jewel you're carrying was stolen, nobody else would be able to complete it."

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"So that if you were abducted...you could say with a straight face that you didn't know anything about the missing shard. Plausible deniability."

"It was Miroku's idea, wasn't it?"

Now it was Inuyasha's turn to blink. "How'd you guess?"

"Because it's really not like you to say things like /plausible deniability/. No offense."

"You have a point."

"So why Kirara?"

He patiently explained, "Because nobody would think to interrogate a cat who can't speak, of course. And in case something happened to Kaede, Kirara could still lead the rest of us to the last shard."

"Clever."

"I thought so. So why're you so upset, Kagome?"

She hesitated for a long moment. "Because I won't be of any use to you anymore. Knowing how much safer I am in my own time, I fully expect you to collapse the Bone-Eater's Well after I go home, to prevent me from coming back. And even if you don't, I'll be starting college next month...and moving on with my life, and I won't have time to come back except during school breaks. I'll lose touch with you. All of you. Most of the people I care about."

"The thought of sealing the well had crossed my mind," Inuyasha admitted. "But I don't think I could bring myself to do that."

"Oh? Why not?" She thought she'd cornered him good there. Would he finally fess up?

At that moment, Miroku and Sango emerged from the fortress, having collected several items, including the shard formerly in Naraku's posession, and the mirror Kanna once carried, now shattered.

Sango got on her knees in front of Kagome, and relinquished the shard to her.

Kagome put it in her bottle to join Kouga's two shards.

"Let's return to the village," Miroku suggested. "It'll probably take us the better part of a week to get there. Then we can retrieve the last shard from Kaede..." He glanced down at Kagome, wondering what her reaction would be.

"I just told her about that one," Inuyasha announced. "She even figured out that it was your idea."

"Of course. It /was/ a rather brilliant plan...it doesn't surprise me that..."

Sango suddenly elbowed Miroku, who promptly shut up.

"Let's go, then," Kagome agreed as she collected her bow and stood up. She'd have to resume her conversation with Inuyasha later. 


	3. An Alternative Future

Endings and Beginnings

Chapter 3

The group found a nice place to set up camp for the night, complete with convenient access to a stream and a hot spring. Sango insisted that the women be allowed to use the spring first, because Kagome seemed to be under a lot of stress, and would therefore benefit the most from a nice soak.

Miroku knew better than to argue with Sango on the matter, so she got her way.

---

As Kagome relaxed in the hot mineral water, Sango could see that she looked preoccupied. She hadn't said a word since they left Naraku's fortress; it wasn't like her to be so somber.

Sango scooted closer to Kagome, then noticed that her lip was trembling. "Kagome?...Please tell me what's wrong..."

It was a long moment before she answered. "Sango. I don't know what I'm going to do."

Sango adopted a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

Kagome explained how her college plans would preclude her from travelling to the feudal era while Tokyo University was in session, and how she was worried that she'd lose touch with their group, especially Inuyasha.

"Is attending college really that important to you?"

Kagome hesitated. "I...I don't know anymore. But I can't just turn my back on my future."

Sango arched an eyebrow. "You say that as though you only acknowledge one possible future."

Kagome turned to look into Sango's eyes. "Are you suggesting that I give up my career plans? So I can keep visiting this time as often as I have in the past?"

Sango took hold of Kagome's hand and held it between both of her own, and shook her head. "No. I'm suggesting that you consider making your home in this time instead. Kaede could teach you to realize your potential as a priestess, if you so desired. You said yourself that you have more friends here that you would trust your life to, than in your own time. Isn't your real home where your true friends are? Where you feel needed and wanted?"

Kagome blinked, as though the idea of learning to become a priestess had never entered her mind. "But that's just it. I'm /not/ needed here any more. We found all the jewel shards."

"Don't say that. I know you've thought of yourself as Inuyasha's shard detector in the past--but you are more to him than just that. You may not be in a position to realize it, but his demeanor changes when you're around him. He draws courage and strength from you."

"First you suggest that I become a priestess, then that I try to hook up with Inuyasha? I can't have it both ways. You know that!"

"Yes, you can. Kikyou was cursed so that she had to choose between expressing her love or being a priestess, but you do not share the same curse."

Kagome nodded. "But Inuyasha--he's never once opened up to me. I've been more patient with him than anyone deserves. Yet the nicest thing he's ever said to me in return was a compliment about my archery or my cooking. I've just about given up on him."

Sango squeezed Kagome's hand more tightly. "Trust me. You're the most important thing in the world to Inuyasha. He just doesn't know /how/ to open up because of his past, being persecuted by humans and demons alike."

"And don't forget about Kikyou. Despite all the psychological damage she's inflicted on him, I think he still has stronger feelings for her than for me. And with his promise to her...how could he ever be mine even if he wanted to?"

"Kagome, you really should have a discussion with him about Kikyou, and make him choose once and for all."

Kagome shook her head. "He'll do anything to avoid talking about Kikyou. She'll haunt him for the rest of his life, and I'll always just be second to her."

"Kagome...don't assume what Inuyasha wants. You know he uses misdirection to conceal his feelings, and you're basing your assumptions on what he's allowed you to believe about him. Your future--your possible future together--is far too important to risk losing based on assumptions."

Kagome sighed. "All right. I'll...I'll talk to him."

Sango smiled. "I'm getting hot sitting here. How about we go back to the camp and let the men use the spring?"

Kagome nodded. "Okay. And...thanks."

Sango gave Kagome a hug before they climbed out. 


	4. The Curse of the Hanyou

Endings and Beginnings

Chapter 4

Shortly before Naraku's defeat, Kagome and Sango had a conversation regarding Shippou and decided that it would probably be best if they stopped allowing him to join them in the hot springs, since he was maturing mentally (if not emotionally). He was reluctant to switch to joining the men, but Inuyasha and Miroku quickly saw the womens' concern and agreed with them.

This would be his first time. He produced a floatation ring (with a horse head) from who knows where and used it as a raft, with his bushy tail threaded through the hole and hidden underwater.

Then Miroku found a comfortable spot to sit. He clasped his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, and a contented smile formed across his face.

Inuyasha was the last to sink into the water; as he did so, his long, silvery hair floated on the surface, glistening in the moonlight.

"You look awfully happy, Miroku," Shippou commented as he floated closer to the monk.

"Yes Shippou, I am. A while back, Sango agreed that she would marry me after my curse was lifted. Now that occasion will soon be realized." (1)

"Oh, congratulations! But will you still be hunting demons...?"

Miroku shook his head. "No, we...we want to settle down and have a number of children. I must provide for them, so I can't continue risking myself in battle as I heretofore have. Besides, I joined this group specifically because I had a common goal, to see Naraku destroyed. Now I can relax, and look forward to my future."

Inuyasha's ears drooped at the mention of children.

The kitsune kicked off from a rock so his raft drifted closer to Inuyasha. "What about you, Inuyasha? Are you going to settle down with Kagome now?"

Miroku couldn't help but chuckle at Shippou's candor.

Inuyasha looked at Shippou and raised an eyebrow. Shippou instantly regretted having said anything.

But to their amazement, Inuyasha didn't react violently. He just sat there, thinking.

"That is a valid, if blunt, question, Inuyasha," the monk said in Shippou's defense. "If your heart is set on Kagome, I suggest that you act soon, before she commits to returning to a life in her own time."

"Keh! What makes you think I'd want to take her as my mate?"

"Because your concern for her exceeds your concern for anyone--or anything--else, no matter how hard you try to hide it, Inuyasha," Miroku answered.

Shippou crossed his arms, looking more serious than his usual self, and nodded sagely in agreement.

Inuyasha's eyes widened to their maximum anime proportions. "Am I really /that/ obvious?"

"Well...yes," Miroku smirked, "Kagome knows you have affections for her, but is frustrated because you're so reluctant to put it into words."

Inuyasha fell silent.

"You /do/ make a cute couple," Shippou commented. "If you asked her to marry you, everyone knows she'd say 'yes'."

"Yeah? And just who is 'everyone'?"

Shippou started counting on his fingers. "Me, Miroku, Sango, Kirara, Kaede, Kohaku, Myouga..."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you've all discussed this behind my back."

Miroku grinned. "As you wish, Inuyasha."

Shippou snickered.

Inuyasha sighed. "I won't deny that I have feelings for Kagome. But it's more complicated than that."

Mirokou adopted a more serious expression. "Are you referring to Kikyou?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "No. What was between me and Kikyou...is resolved now."

"Then what's the problem, Inuyasha?", Shippou asked, looking over at him expectantly. 

Inuyasha had a frustrated look on his face. "One of the reasons hanyou are so rare...I mean, besides the fact that demons and humans don't think twice about killing us..."

"Yes...?"

Inuyasha turned his head to look away from the other two and paused before contiuing. "It's because we can't have pups."

Shippou's and Miroku's mouths both dropped open. They'd never known Inuyasha to show a softer side of himself (by bringing up the topic of having children), and they didn't know that hanyou weren't viable (though the revelation made perfect sense and it was consistent with everything they'd witnessed since they'd joined Inuyasha's group), but both thoughts were equally shocking to them.

An awkward silence lasted for several minutes before Miroku spoke up again. "You're afraid Kagome will reject you because of that. Because her motherly instincts imply that she'd want a large family."

Inuyasha nodded. "And she'd never let me use the Shikon no Tama to become human to make that possible. She's made it a point that one thing that distinguishes her from Kikyou...is that she likes me as I am."

"I see where you're coming from," Miroku acknowledged. "But I think you understimate her, Inuyasha. I do not believe she would reject you for that. Her heart is bigger than that."

"You'll never know if you don't ask," Shippou agreed. "Besides...you could always adopt. Kagome's the most charitable person I've ever met."

"Keh! Like anyone would surrender their children to a /hanyou, a bastard like me." It wasn't clear whether he meant that term in the 'unlikeable personality' sense or in the 'monstrous crossbreed' sense. Maybe it was both. (2) He promptly climbed out of the water and shook himself dry, showering the other two in the process, then picked up his clothes and dissappeared into the thick of trees.

Shippou's lip started trembling, then he broke out crying. "I didn't mean to upset him...!"

Miroku sighed, and tried to offer comfort. "It wasn't your fault, Shippou. You know how he tends to be stubborn and exciteable." A moment later he added, "This water is unusually hot. Let's return to the camp."

Shippou nodded and calmed down.

Then they climbed out themselves and got dressed.

But when they reached the campfire, Inuyasha was nowhere to be found.

---

(1) A reference to episode 132: Miroku's Dangerous Confession.

(2) I know the double meaning of the word might not work in Japanese...call it poetic license. 


	5. Three Conditions

Endings and Beginnings

Chapter 5

Inuyasha had caught plenty of fish while the women were enjoying the hot spring earlier, so Sango and Kagome were well into preparing them when Miroku and Shippou returned.

"Where's Inuyasha and Kohaku?", Kagome asked.

"Kohaku went to sleep already," Sango explained, gesturing behind her. "I gave him one of your 'protein bars' when we were walking earlier, so at least he has something in his stomach."

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, that's better than nothing."

Miroku answered the other half of the question. "We were having a discussion with Inuyasha and he became agitated and walked off."

Kagome looked worried. "What were you discussing?"

Shippou began, "Inuyasha can't--", but Miroku quickly muffled the kitsune with his hand. "It's something I'm certain he would prefer to tell you himself, Lady Kagome." Then he looked down. "Don't you agree, Shippou?"

Sango noticed that Miroku used his left hand for that, probably from force of habit.

Shippou thought about it for a moment, then nodded, after which Miroku removed his hand. "Sorry."

Kagome sighed. "I see. Well, I hope he comes back soon. I need to sit down with him and discuss--"

CRASH! (1)

Everyone jumped at once.

Kagome winced and slapped her hand over her mouth, realizing what had just happened. Inuyasha had been sitting on a tree-limb overhead, listening in to the conversation. Fortunately, he didn't land in the fire.

"Owwwww...What'd you do that for?", Inuyasha complained as he tried to extricate himself from the ground.

Kagome ran to his side at once. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were there!"

"Likely story. You know I never wander far from the camp."

She helped him up and he dusted himself off.

"Inuyasha, I'll make it up to you. It's time that rosary came off." Kagome started reaching for the beads of subjugation around Inuyasha's neck.

Inuyasha blinked, and took hold of Kagome's wrists to stop her, much to everyone's surprise.

Kagome gasped. "Inuyasha...?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "No. Not...not now. Later, maybe."

Kagome gave him the most quizzical look ever. "Maybe?"

Inuyasha sighed. "We need to talk."

Kagome was overjoyed that he wanted to talk, but protested, "We need to eat first. We've had a very long day."

"Fine, then. We'll eat, then we'll talk," Inuyasha compromised.

Everyone sat down around the fire and ate in silence. Shippou in particular was afraid of saying something that might upset Inuyasha again.

Everyone ate more than usual.

Unsurprisingly, Inuyasha was the first to finish eating.

Once Kagome finished, she turned to him. "Where do you want to talk?", she asked.

Inuyasha stood up. "I found a place not far from here."

"All right. Let's go." Kagome stood up and started following him.

Once they were gone, Sango leaned towards Miroku, whispering. "Can you tell me what you talked about?"

Miroku waited till he was sure Inuyasha was beyond earshot, then answered quietly, "He told us that hanyou cannot produce offspring. He seems to fear rejection because of that."

Sango winced. "How awful. I can see how that could be an issue for him. But surely Kagome wouldn't reject him for that."

Miroku nodded. "I know. But understand, this is probably something that's been on his mind for a very long time. It would certainly help to explain some of his past behavior. I'm afraid he's convinced himself that it's a much bigger issue than it actually is."

---

Inuyasha led Kagome to a wide log that spanned the stream, and sat down on the middle of it. "Whatever you do, please don't say 'sit', or I might drown," he warned.

"I understand," Kagome said as she sat beside him. From their position on the log, the nearly-full moon was unobscured by trees.

Kagome shivered a bit. Inuyasha noticed this, and in response gave her the top portion of his fire-rat clothing.

Kagome smiled at the gesture, and looked down into the water below. "Thanks. Now, why did you say you didn't want to seal off the well?"

"Because, I thought you might want me to visit you in your time, once in a while, since you'll be too busy to come here," he stated plainly.

Kagome turned her head to look up at him. "You'd come to visit me?"

Inuyasha looked back at Kagome. "Of course I would!" After he said it, he realized he'd said it too quickly and forcefully, and turned to stare into the water. "...that is, if you wanted me to."

Kagome smiled. "That's sweet of you to offer. I'd like that."

Inuyasha's ears drooped. "Then...you're definitely going to college?"

Kagome shook her head. "I'm not sure anymore. But I don't have long to decide."

"But...what would you do if you didn't go?"

"Well, Sango suggested that I could stay here, and learn how to be a priestess from Kaede, but I guess learning to be a healer would also be an option."

"You'd...you'd stay here in this time, then?"

Kagome nodded. "Under certain conditions."

"What conditions?"

"There are three things that you would have to do, and I think you're smart enough to figure them out."

---

(1) I know there's a difference between "sit" (there are many ways to say this) and "sit!" (Osuwari!) in Japanese, so the rosary couldn't be triggered by accident, but I'm bending the rules for poetic license. 


	6. An Overdue Confession

Endings and Beginnings

Chapter 6

Inuyasha hated it when Kagome wouldn't tell him what she wanted outright; it was as bad as when she wouldn't tell him what he'd done to earn a 'sit'. But at least this time, he could kindof guess what she was looking for.

He thought for a moment. "You want me to choose between you and Kikyou, don't you?"

"Yes."

Obviously there could only be one right answer. At least his conversation with Kikyou had been conveniently timed, so he could pass this hurdle.

"Kagome..."

"Yes?" Kagome bit her lip in anticipation.

"I've wanted to choose you for a long time."

"But you're still bound to your promise to Kikyou, right? I knew it would come to that..."

"...No."

Kagome was taken aback. "No?"

"No," Inuyasha confirmed.

"When did this change?"

"Today, right after we killed Naraku. She released me from my promise. She admitted that we had no future together."

Kagome felt relieved; this was probably the biggest stumbling block she anticipated. "You could've at least told me."

"I wanted to, but I didn't know how to bring up the subject. You were so upset...her name was the very last thing I wanted to say around you."

"I see your point. Are...you okay with her rejecting you?"

"Yes. You don't know how much I regretted making that promise. But to me, a promise is everything, so I had to honor it. I couldn't just take it back. She had to release me from it."

"I understand."

"Now I can finally say it. That I choose you over her."

Kagome smiled warmly and leaned into Inuyasha's side. "Oh, Inuyasha...thank you. You don't know how much it means to me to hear you say that."

Inuyasha hesitantly wrapped an arm around her.

Kagome appreciated that gesture.

"But," Inuyasha began.

Kagome's eyes widened. "But?"

"I'm afraid you're going to be dissappointed."

"Dissappointed? Why?"

"Because...well..."

Kagome sat straight again. "Yes?"

Inuyasha sighed. Why was it so hard to say? He felt like it would end things pretty quickly.

Kagome patiently waited, not wanting to force something out of him that he wasn't ready to say.

Finally, he blurted out, "Do you want to have pups? I mean, kids?"

Kagome was startled by the question, but answered it nonetheless. "Well, of course I do. I would've thought you knew that..." Then her imagination kicked in gear. "Oh, you hate children, don't you?"

Inuyasha blinked. "No!...That's not it at all."

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. "Then you think you'd make a bad father?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "No. I think I could be a good provider, at least."

"You're afraid that quarter-demon children would be ashamed of their parentage?"

"No."

"Then I don't understand the question."

Inuyasha's face started contorting as he tried to think of a way to tell her what the problem was.

"If it's hard to say, you don't have to say it right now."

"No, it's too important to put off."

"Okay...take your time."

Inuyasha took a deep breath. "Hanyou..." He paused. "We can't have pups. That's why you never see a hanyou family. Humans and youkai can produce hanyou, but hanyou can't conceive. Nobody knows why."

Kagome gasped. "Inuyasha...I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"It's one of the reasons I've been afraid to get too close to you in the past," he admitted. "I knew you probably wanted pups, and I wouldn't be able..."

Kagome suddenly wrapped both her arms around Inuyasha and hugged him tightly. "I still want you, Inuyasha. I don't think any less of you for that."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "You'd...you'd give up your dreams of having a family to be with me?"

"Yes."

"Kagome..."

"Thank you for finally telling me, but don't ever think that I'd think less of you because of something you can't control. I like you just as you are, and I'll always accept you, no matter what."

"Kagome..."

"It's okay, Inuyasha."

"You have no idea how much it would mean to me to have pups of my own, but nature's decided that it's Sesshoumaru's privilege to be the one to extend the family line. You don't know how jealous I am of him because of that."

"I understand."

"Kagome..."

"Yes?"

"I..."

"Hmmm?"

"I...uhm..."

Kagome smiled knowingly.

Inuyasha made a face. "Why is this so hard?"

"It's okay, Inuyasha. I love you too."

Inuyasha blushed profusely while Kagome snuggled him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Kagome, you amaze me. You show love for me, a worthless hanyou, even though I'm rude and boisterous and arrogant and uneducated and hot-tempered and I don't have anything to offer you but my loyalty and my protection, and it's just the most incredible thing in the world because I don't know what you see in me. You make me feel good, and I want to make you happy, and be a better person for your sake, and I wish I could tell you how I felt."

Kagome's eyes started to get all watery. "Oh, Inuyasha...I think you just did."

Inuyasha looked confused, then realized what he'd just said, and turned redder.

Kagome smiled. "That was the second thing I wanted from you, and you said it with more meaning than I expected, just in a different way."

"Kagome..." His voice was as soft as she'd ever heard it before.

Her heart was racing. She bit her lower lip in anticipation.

For a brief moment, the rushing of the water below and the noise of the crickets seemed to fade away.

Kagome unconsciously tightened her grip on Inuyasha's cream-colored undershirt, and her toes clenched as well.

And then he pulled her closer to him and kissed her in the moonlight. 


	7. His Father Would Be Proud

Endings and Beginnings

Note: In my fanfic, humans and youkai have different numbers of chromosomes, so when they cross-breed the result is a mule (in the genetic sense). The classic example is that donkeys have 62 chromosomes and horses have 64, so their half-breed offspring (what most people think of as "mules") end up with 63 chromosomes (31 from the donkey and 32 from the horse, leaving one unmatched) and are therefore sterile.

In chapter 6 I went back and added a comment that nobody knows why this is (at least not in the feudal era...).

Chapter 7

This was only the second occasion on which they'd kissed, but for both of them it was much more special than it had been in Kaguya's domain, when Kagome took the initiative to save Inuyasha from losing himself to his youkai alter-ego. (1)

Kagome was so happy that he'd finally professed his love for her. The exact wording didn't matter; what was important was that he opened up to her, and he'd surely find it easier to do so again in the future. Now that they knew how they felt about each other, where would they go from here? The fact that Inuyasha had brought up the subject of 'pups', though he couldn't have any, suggested that he eventually wanted her to be his mate. Kagome and her mother would insist on a formal marriage ceremony, and she couldn't imagine her hanyou denying her one if things got to that point.

But she decided to be patient, and not bring up the subject until he declared his intentions. Inyasha had already taken a huge step, and with all the events of the day, she wasn't about to rush him.

Inuyasha had her clutched against his chest now as they sat on the log, both silent, pondering their conversation a few minutes earlier.

Kagome let out a small sigh.

"Are you tired?"

Kagome nodded. "A little."

"Do you want to go back to the camp?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. Please hold me a while longer."

Inuyasha smiled. Her mere scent was enough to augment his courage and make his heart beat faster, but feeling her warmth, innocent as it was, had a special significance; for him, it meant that she trusted him, rosary or no. Most humans would never willingly touch a vile hanyou, much less allow themselves to be cradled by one. Kagome not only trusted him, but did so completely and without hesitation. He secretly enjoyed carrying her on his back so often, because it provided a convenient excuse for some kind of physical contact; it made him feel closer to her in more than one way.

A few minutes later, he realized that she'd fallen asleep in his arms. He was struck by how calm and contented she looked.

Carefully, he adjusted his posture so he could stand up and carry her back. His agility and heightened sense of balance were such that he could negotiate the log and return to the camp without waking her.

---

Inuyasha found that Miroku and Sango had already gone to sleep, close to each other with Shippou curled up beside Kirara at their feet. Kohaku was asleep nearby. The fire had diminished to mere embers, but his sensitive eyes allowed him to see clearly in the darkness and move about with confidence.

Even with his superhuman dexterity, he didn't know how to unzip Kagome's sleeping bag while still holding her without waking her, so instead he gently placed her on top of it. This solution also conveniently obviated the need to remove her shoes, which would also probably wake her. He decided that the nearby trees made a good windbreak, and the combination of the campfire and the fire-rat garment he'd loaned her earlier would be sufficient to compensate for her not being /inside/ the bag.

He didn't mind going without a portion of his garment for the evening; if anything, it would absorb Kagome's scent, and that was fine by him.

His next order of business was to lay some more dry branches over the fire, and he stoked it until he brought it back to life.

Inuyasha knew he had far too much on his mind to be able to get any rest himself just yet, so he wandered a short distance from the camp, weaving between the trees, but stayed within earshot.

Suddenly he felt something bite him on the neck, and he promptly swatted whatever it was.

"Master Inuyasha!"

He brought his hand up to his eyes to scrutinize the slightly-squished flea as it quickly popped back to its normal shape. "You finally decided it was safe to come out, eh, Myouga?" He continued walking while conversing with his diminutive vassal.

Myouga flailed his arms around. "You know I would only have gotten in your way!"

"Keh! Like /you/ could get in /anyone's/ way."

The flea looked annoyed. "How went the confrontation with Naraku?"

"He's dead."

Myouga's eyes widened. "Dead? Are you certain?"

"Yeah. Miroku's curse was lifted."

"How can you be so sure? If you remember, Naraku lifted the monk's curse once before to deceive you," Myouga asked as he fingered his chin. (2)

"Well, if you'd just stuck around for once, you'd know for yourself, coward! Kikyou was convinced that he died, and who am I to argue with her? She would know more about death than anyone else, and could probably sense what was happening to his jyaki through it all."

"Hmmm. I see your point. Congratulations, Inuyasha! I always knew you'd prevail in the end!"

"Keh! If you trusted me that much, you would've stayed with us. You're so predictable!"

"And if it weren't for me, you wouldn't even know where to have gone looking for him! Such is the life of a flea, I get no respect!" (3)

Inuyasha considered this, becoming frustrated as he realized the flea was right. "Fine, then. Thanks for the tip."

Myouga blinked. "Did you just say what I thought you said, Master Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha smirked. "I don't know. What did I say?", he teased.

Myouga sighed. Well, at least he heard it that once. "How much of the Shikon no Tama have you collected so far?"

"We've got all the shards now."

"/All/ of them?"

"Yeah. The last one is in a safe place for now. I won't have Kagome merge it in with the rest, just yet."

"I've never known you to show restraint, Inuyasha. Why the delay?"

"Let's just say, I might end up not making a wish at all."

That certainly piqued Myouga's interest. "Have you finally changed your mind about becoming a full youkai?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Kagome helped me realize that I shouldn't try to be something that I'm not."

"Your father would be so proud of you!"

"If you say so."

"So what will you do with the jewel?"

Inuyasha grinned. "Oh, I've still got plans for it..."

---

(1, 2) references to Inuyasha the Movie 2 - The Castle Through the Mirror

(3) A reference to Inuyasha the Movie 4 - Crimson Horai Island 


	8. Planning for the Future

Endings and Beginnings

Chapter 8

After sunrise, Kagome was the first to awaken. She yawned and stretched, then rolled onto her side and closed her eyes again, wanting to rest for a few more minutes.

She smiled, vividly remembering a dream involving Inuyasha professing his affections for her. It was so perfect...

Then she groggily realized that she'd just caught a glimpse of a pair of golden eyes staring back at her a few seconds ago when she rolled over. Startled, she quickly opened her eyes again to see what it was.

Inuyasha smiled back at her, his face not a foot away from hers. He was laying on the ground beside her, using his left arm to prop up his head.

Kagome blushed, and went through the motions of unzipping her sleeping bag to get out of it...then realized that she was /on top of/ it rather than /in/ it. Sitting up, she found she was still wearing the top portion of Inuyasha's fire-rat clothing from her...dream?

"Then it wasn't just a dream?", she squeaked out.

Inuyasha pushed himself up into a sitting position at her side. "I don't think you dreamed at all last night," he said softly.

She looked over at him. "But how could you possibly know that?"

"Because your eyes didn't twitch all night," he answered, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary for him to observe. (1)

That only resulted in her cheeks turning even redder, and she turned her head away in embarrassment. It disturbed her a bit to realize that he had been watching her so intently while she slept, and she almost wanted to make him 'sit' for that, but then she pieced things together. /He was just being extra protective of me and wanted to be close. How...sweet of him./

She turned back to face him, but by now he was already on his feet and stretching.

It wasn't anyone else's business to know how he'd spent the night, so Inuyasha was determined to not give them any clues.

Kagome removed the fire-rat garment and held it out for him. "Do you want this back?"

Inuyasha nodded, and accepted it and put it back on.

Sango heard Kagome's voice and took a deep breath, moving to get up. And then she found that Miroku's hand had trespassed into /her space/ sometime during the night.

She turned beet red, and instinctively roused him with a slap before getting up herself.

---

Soon after breakfast, they were moving again. Inuyasha carried Kagome on his back, while Miroku, Kohaku, Sango, and Shippou rode Kirara. Normally, Shippou would've ridden with Kagome, but today Inuyasha started moving the instant Kagome was ready.

When Shippou had realized that his ride had left prematurely, he protested, and Sango tried to console him. "He probably just wants to spend some time alone with Kagome. Don't take it personally. You can ride with us..."

Fortunately, Kirara was big enough to accommodate one more small passenger.

---

Kagome always enjoyed riding on Inuyasha's back. His swiftness gave her the sensation of flying. She could feel his superhuman muscles working, with each movement carefully timed as if choreographed for the best compromise between the smoothest ride and the fastest speed. Holding on to him gave her an intense feeling of comfort and protection, with which nothing else could compare.

A good hour passed without a word, then Inuyasha spoke up.

"Kagome?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure you want to make your home in this time?"

She tightened her hold on him to reassure him. "Yes. Since last night..."

"You'll need a place to stay, then. I want to build you a house."

Kagome blushed again. She hoped his desire to build her a house was leading up to something. It was a lot for him to volunteer, but she knew that he'd be hurt if she declined. "That's sweet of you to offer," she replied.

"I'm not sweet."

"Oh, yes you are. You're just not comfortable showing that side of yourself."

"Keh!"

Kagome just chuckled. Her hanyou was in denial, but she thought the act he always put up was endearing in itself.

"So what kind of house do you want?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "Something simple and cozy."

"A den would be simple and cozy," he suggested.

"You mean like foxes and wolves have?"

"Yeah."

Kagome sweatdropped. "Uhm..."

"Unless you want something above ground. I could do that."

Kagome let out a sigh of relief. "Yes, that would be better, I think."

Inuyasha pondered this for a while.

---

Kirara was doing her best to keep close behind Inuyasha, but just out of earshot so he and Kagome would have some privacy to talk. On her back, Sango and Miroku were sitting in the middle, behind Shippou and in front of Kohaku.

"How many children would you like to have, Sango?", Miroku asked out of the blue.

The demon exterminator blushed, not really feeling comfortable discussing this particular subject with the two younger ones present.

"Maybe two," she suggested after a moment of thought.

"Only two? I was thinking at least seven."

Sango turned her head around to look at him. "Seven?"

"Perhaps five, then?", he tried to negotiate.

"Three, maybe."

"Four?"

Sango sighed.

In response, Miroku tightened his hold around Sango and whispered, "I love you" into her ear.

He had only started using that word since Naraku's defeat. (2) "We'll see," she ambiguously conceded, perhaps teasingly. She faced forward again, and wrapped her hands around his on her abdomen.

Shippou was rolling his eyes by now, shaking his head. He knew they'd spent the last few years killing demons together, but Sango and Miroku wouldn't stand a chance against seven kids. He knew the monk's ambition would be his own downfall.

Poor Kohaku's attention seemed to be elsewhere, though. He seemed to have lost part of his soul to Naraku long ago, and could still frequently be seen with a totally blank expression on his face.

"Perhaps Shippou will find someone for himself soon," Miroku mused.

Shippou turned red in the face, and Sango couldn't help but chuckle. She elbowed the monk for teasing the poor kitsune.

---

(1) Inuyasha is refering to the rapid eye movement that typically accompanies dreams (REM sleep).

(2) There's apparently more than one way to say "I love you" in Japanese, but "aishite" is just one word. 


	9. Girl Talk

Endings and Beginnings

Note: I apologize to my neglected Harry Potter readers and will attempt to write another chapter to "Someone to Keep Him Company" as soon as I decide on the approach to use for proceeding with the plot.

Chapter 9

That evening they set up camp again. There weren't any hot springs nearby this time, but other than that, the location was perfect.

The others noticed that Inuyasha was being more amiable towards Kagome now. He was constantly by her side and making an effort to be less rude around her; obviously, something had changed between them, but they hadn't shared their discussions with anyone else yet, leading to much silent speculation.

After eating, Kagome leaned over towards the demon exterminator. "Sango, would you like to go for a little walk with me?"

Sango was Kagome's confidante these days, and practically her sister. She knew that this would be more than just "a little walk", and smiled back knowingly, before standing up.

Inuyasha moved to get up as well.

Kagome shook her head. "Not you, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha started to protest. "But I can't protect you if you're far away."

Kagome glared back at him. "Stay! For crying out loud, we won't go very far. We just need some time alone for girl talk."

Inuyasha's ears folded in submission and he let out an audible whimper as he sat back down, earning a giggle from the women.

/At least she didn't say 'Sit!', Inuyasha thought.

Miroku, Shippou, and Kohaku turned to face Inuyasha after the women departed towards a nearby stream.

Shippou bounced to a position directly in front of the hanyou. "Inuyasha, did you propose to Kagome last night?"

Inuyasha glared back. "What's it to ya?"

Shippou trembled and hesitantly retreated towards Miroku.

Miroku spoke up. "Inuyasha, you know we're all just curious. There's no need to be defensive about it."

Inuyasha sighed, and relented. "I didn't ask her. I wanted to wait until..."

Miroku arched an eyebrow. "Wait until what?"

"...until I've finished building her a house. She's going to make her home in our time now, and I want her to have a nice place where she'll be comfortable."

Miroku nodded approvingly.

Shippou bounced enthusiastically. "Oh, that's great, Inuyasha!"

Even Kohaku seemed to smile a bit at the news, but he remained quiet.

Inuyasha opened his mouth as if to say something more, but then closed it, and just stared at the campfire.

Miroku noticed this. "Inuyasha, if there's anything we can do to help you build this house for Kagome, we'd be more than happy."

Inuyasha looked at the monk with a hint of surprise.

Miroku grinned. "I know it's not easy for you to ask for help," he explained. "I figured you probably weren't too familiar with the construction of human dwellings."

"Feh. You seem to have me all figured out, monk," Inuyasha admitted.

Shippou and Miroku couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

"I want it to be special, though. Not just an ordinary hut."

"I understand. Do you have any ideas yet?"

Inuyasha nodded, and moved closer to Miroku. "I'll show you," he said, then he leaned forward and started drawing in the dirt using the claw of his index finger.

---

Sango looked towards Kagome expectantly, waiting for her to fill her in on all the juicy details.

After they were well out of earshot of the camp, Kagome finally started. "He said he's no longer bound to Kikyou, and that he can pick me over her now."

Sango let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, that's good to hear. I know you were really worried about that."

Kagome nodded. "Then he told me about the hanyou curse. Sango, he said that hanyou can't conceive children. He was apparently really hung up over the fact and it was hard for him to admit it."

"I know," Sango admitted. "Miroku told me what they discussed in the hot spring. I felt so sorry for him."

"So of course I told him that I could live with that."

"I knew you would. Then what happened?"

After a moment of silence, tears started rolling down Kagome's cheeks.

"Kagome? Is everything all right?"

Kagome nodded to Sango while sniffling and wiping the tears away.

Sango waited patiently, taking Kagome's free hand in her own.

"He said...he said he loved me. Not in so many words, but what he said was more than I ever expected him to say. Oh, Sango...you were right!"

Sango practically squealed, and hugged Kagome tight. "Of course I was!"

Kagome smiled over Sango's shoulder. "Thanks for prodding me into talking with him."

"Go on, Kagome..."

Kagome worked her way out of the hug, looking up at Sango. "What?", she asked, in mock innocence.

Sango correspondingly arched an eyebrow at Kagome accusingly. "There's something else, isn't there?"

Kagome grinned, letting the suspense build for a moment, then finally admitted, "He kissed me. It was so perfect!"

"Well, it's about time!" Sango said as she hugged Kagome again.

"There's something else, too."

"Oh?"

"This morning when he was carrying me on his back, he told me he wanted to build me a house!"

"That's wonderful, Kagome! I don't know what the custom is in your time, but to me that means he'll soon propose to you. He has to prove that he can provide for you."

Kagome nodded excitedly. "I know! I'm so excited! After we get back to the village I'll have to go through the well and tell my family. I'm not sure how they'll take it though, but I'm legally an adult both here and there now."

"I'm sure your mother will approve. From everything you've told me, she's very...accomodating of your frequent travels to our time. You've been through so much with Inuyasha, surely by now she understands that he can take care of you better than any human from your own time."

Kagome nodded, and took a deep breath. "I'll have to figure out how to explain it to my former schoolmates, too. I haven't been close to them since this whole shard hunt began, but I owe them at least a hint of the truth."

"I understand. But you're pretty bright, I'm sure you'll find a way to let them know without revealing too much..."

Kagome blushed a bit. "You give me too much credit."

Sango shook her head. "You convinced them that you've been suffering all manner of illnesses up until now. How much harder can it be to explain getting married in a far-off land, without--what did you call it? Telephone and e-mail?"

Kagome chuckled. "I guess you're right. I hate to admit it, but I've gotten pretty good at lying to them. I can't help but feel a bit guilty."

"Some things in life are unavoidable. I wouldn't worry too much about it."

"Thanks, Sango."

They hugged once more before turning to go back to the camp. 


	10. A Good Trade

Endings and Beginnings

Note: If memory serves, the English translations of the anime and manga have Kaede using "ye" even as a singular pronoun, which is incorrect.

Here is a guide to my usage of the archaic pronouns:

thou: 2nd person singular subjective

thee: 2nd person singular objective

thy/thine: 2nd person singular possessive

ye: 2nd person plural subjective

you: 2nd person plural objective

your: 2nd person plural possessive

I've made an effort to be consistent in my usage when Kaede speaks, and I've thrown in a few uses of "art" (are), "hast" (has), "wouldst" (would), "dost" (do), etc. after archaic pronouns.

Also, "he and I" is subjective (like "we"), while "him and me" is objective (like "us"), and both have their places, yet I've seen a lot of people claim that the "he and I" form is always right, and those people are wrong.

I've probably been inconsistent with Inuyasha's usage of "Keh!" and "Feh!" though. If anyone could enlighten me, I'd appreciate it. I read in one place that Viz changed from "Keh" to "Feh" in the manga and now "Keh" is only used the anime, but I'm not certain.

Chapter 10

The group arrived in Kaede's village a couple days later. Inuyasha had been eager to return, and he even let Shippou ride with him and Kagome again on the last day, much to the kitsune's satisfaction.

Kaede was tending her herb garden when Kirara rubbed against her legs and mewed.

The elderly miko looked down in surprise, then spun around to see Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Kohaku, and Shippou standing nearby. "Oh, ye have all returned! With good news I hope?"

"It's so good to see you, Lady Kaede," Kagome began. "With Myoga's help we found Naraku, and with Kikyou's help we defeated him. And we have all the shards now!"

Kaede's eye widened. "My, that /is/ good news! Please, come in, and tell me everything!" She ushered the group into her hut.

Everyone made themselves comfortable and then Kagome recounted the events of the past week.

After she was brought up to speed on current events, Kaede finally spoke again. "Inuyasha, hast thou decided on thy plans for the Shikon no Tama?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah. but I'm not ready for it just yet, so I'd rather not have it completed until the last minute, since when that happens, it'll become a magnet for youkai."

Everyone gave a surprised look to the hanyou, who didn't feel the urge to offer any explanation for his procrastination.

"As thou wishes. I will keep the location of the last shard secret until then."

"Thanks," Inuyasha said in reply.

Miroku was the next to speak. "Lady Kaede, Sango and I plan to wed soon. We would be honored if you would officiate for us." He wrapped an arm around his beloved, and Sango contentedly leaned into his side.

Kaede smiled broadly. "It would please me very much to do this for you. Where will ye make your home?"

Sango answered, "We were thinking about having it here, so we could be close to Inuyasha and Kagome...".

Kaede blinked, and looked at Kagome. "Thou art staying in this time, then?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes, I've decided to make my home here," she confirmed.

Kaede was taken aback. "Art thou certain, child? From what thou hast told me of the future, thou wouldst be much safer there."

Kagome wrapped her arms around Inuyasha, who was seated next to her, making him blush. "Yes, I'm certain. Sango made me realize that I could learn a great deal more from you, here, than I ever could be taught in my time, and all my best friends are here. And then Inuyasha and I came to a new understanding...and that was the clincher."

Kaede couldn't help but notice how she was holding the hanyou, and indeed, that the hanyou wasn't protesting about it. She arched an eyebrow at him. "Inuyasha...Did my sister Kikyou speak with thee?"

Inuyasha nodded. "She released me from my promise. She seemed to finally accept that things between us could never be like they were fifty years ago."

Kaede nodded. "I am glad that she has accepted her present state, then." She then returned her attention to Kagome. "Nothing would please me more than to teach thee about thyself and thy unique powers. But, be warned that after the Shikon no Tama is wished upon, the Bone-Eater's Well may very well cease to allow passage to thine own time."

Kagome nodded. "I was wondering about that...but if things work out between Inuyasha and me, I know I'd be happier here."

Kaede smiled. "I have noticed that thou dost have a certain calming effect on Inuyasha. Ye would make a good couple."

Kagome grinned and reached up to scratch behind Inuyasha's ears.

"Ohhh...Kagome, do you have to do that in front of everyone?", Inuyasha protested.

Everyone chuckled at that.

---

Later, Kagome and Inuyasha were at the Bone-Eater's Well. He'd carried her backpack thus far, and now was helping her put it on.

Kagome was all set to go now. She looked up at him. "Are you sure you don't want to come through with me?"

Inuyasha nodded. "I want to get started on your new house, and it'll keep me plenty busy until you return."

Kagome leaned towards him and gave him a peck on the cheek.

In response, Inuyasha gave her a good-bye hug. "Stay safe. And bring back some ramen."

Kagome smirked. "You're building me a house and all you want in exchange is some ramen? Sounds like a good trade to me..."

"Feh. I'm the one getting the better part of the deal, with you making your home here."

"Oh, Inuyasha, you're so sweet..."

Inuyasha just rolled his eyes. "Oh, just get going already before this turns too mushy..."

Kagome chuckled. "All right then. I'll see you in a few days."

She turned around and lept into the well, dissappearing through the bottom as she was swept away in the time slip.

Inuyasha remained there for a few minutes before turning to head back to the village. Their new relationship was having a profound effect on him that he didn't fully understand yet. He couldn't help but think he was undeserving of her, and resolved to put extra care into the house's construction to try to compensate for his shortcomings and to express what he couldn't put into words. 


	11. Sorry, Souta

Endings and Beginnings

Note: Although I've avoided honorifics in earlier chapters, I'll refer to Kagome's grandfather as Jii-chan simply because I'm not aware of any alternative.

Chapter 11

"Mama, I'm back!", Kagome announced as she removed her shoes and backpack in the foyer.

"Oh, Kagome! We were starting to worry about you!" her mother said as she came out of the kitchen and hugged her. "Dinner will be ready soon, I'll put out an extra setting for you. Souta and Jii-chan will be so glad to see you."

"Do I have enough time to take a bath first?"

Her mother nodded. "Yes, if you're quick about it."

"All right," Kagome said as she slipped into the bathroom to start some water running. Then she dashed up the stairs to get a fresh change of clothes from her bedroom. (1)

---

Kagome returned to the kitchen, her hair still damp, just as the others were sitting down to eat.

"Sis!"

"Kagome! It's good to have you back," Jii-chan said as he reached over to pat her shoulder.

"Hi Souta, Jii-chan...how have you all been?"

"We're doing well," her grandfather answered. "Though Houjo stopped by a few times while you were away. The last time, he came with flowers."

Kagome couldn't help but roll her eyes and sigh.

"He only has the best intentions, Kagome," her mother reminded her.

"I know. But a lot has happened in the past week, and Houjo is just going to have to get over me now," Kagome said as she dug her chopsticks into a bowl of rice with chunks of teriyaki chicken on top.

"Oh?", her mother and grandfather said in unison.

"Mmmm...this chicken is good, Mama."

Her mother raised an eyebrow, ignoring the compliment. "You were saying...?"

Kagome nibbled some more as she tried to figure out how to word things, while the other three at the table stared at her expectantly.

"To start with, the shard hunt is finally over. We defeated Naraku, and I can reassemble the Shikon no Tama now."

Her family knew about Naraku from previous conversations.

Her mother looked a bit relieved. "I'm glad, from what you've told us that man was quite a monster. Does that mean you won't be travelling through the well anymore?"

"Uhm...No, but maybe yes."

Mama and Jii-chan exchanged puzzled glances.

Kagome sipped her miso soup before continuing. "Inuyasha finally expressed his feelings for me. I think he's going to propose to marry me soon. Right now he's building a house for me in Kaede's village..."

Her mother dropped her chopsticks. "/What?"

"Calm down, Mama," Jii-chan urged. "Let her speak."

Kagome sighed. "I'd hoped you would be happy for me. As Sango mentioned, he and I have been through so much together over the past four years that I've come to trust him more than anyone else in the world. And Kaede can teach me to be a priestess and a healer. Mama, I could never learn my true potential in the modern era. Everything she knows has been lost to the ages."

Her mother looked down and rubbed her forehead. "I'm sorry, Kagome. This is just...so sudden. I'm afraid of losing you. I know Inuyasha is very protective of you, and I have to admit he'd probably make a better husband than most men I know..."

"But you'd still come through the well to visit us, right?", Souta interrupted.

Kagome regarded her brother. "I don't know. There's a chance the well will stop working once the Shikon no Tama is used to grant a wish. Up until now I've never been able to travel back to the feudal era unless I had part of the jewel with me, but I /have/ been able to return here without any shards, so it might turn into a one-way portal if it stays open at all."

"Which means you really couldn't risk returning here since you might find yourself stuck in the present?", Jii-chan interpreted.

Kagome nodded silently.

Her mother's eyes were starting to water. "Oh, Kagome..."

"Sis...? I don't want you to go." Souta got up and walked around the corner of the table to grab hold of Kagome's leg.

"I'm sorry, Souta," Kagome said as she bent over to hug her brother.

"Souta, this is Kagome's decision to make. I hate to say it, but she's an adult now, and she has the right to choose for herself."

"Thanks, Mama."

"But I want you to seriously consider what you're getting into, young lady. You'll be giving up /everything/ if you do this."

"I know, Mama. I'd miss you, and Jii-chan, and Souta, and my friends here. But everything else is just material things that don't really matter. I've already adjusted to life in the feudal era from all the time I've spent there. I know /exactly/ what I'd be getting into."

Souta was still clinging onto Kagome's leg. "Does this mean my nephews would have doggy ears?"

His innocent question lightened the mood momentarily. Even their mother had to chuckle at that.

"I'm afraid that's another matter entirely," Kagome said.

"What do you mean?", Jii-chan asked.

"Inuyasha told me that because he's a hanyou, it's not possible for him to have children. I guess it's probably similar to how mules can't have children since they're a crossbreed or something. So no, you wouldn't have any nephews at all, Souta."

"Awwww...!", he protested.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," her mother said. She secretly fancied the idea of cute, puppy-eared grandchildren, even if she'd never be able to see them because they were stuck in the past along with her daughter. "How long do you think it'll be before he asks you to marry him, then?"

"I don't know. We've had deep feelings for each other for a long time, but he wasn't able to express them because he was bound by a promise he made to Kikyou. But she finally released him from that promise after we defeated Naraku. So it could be days...or months."

"Well, at least that gives us some time to adjust to the idea, then."

Kagome nodded.

"But if he does ask you, you'll have a ceremony here, right?", Jii-chan asked.

Kagome smiled. "I wouldn't deny you that. But I'd probably have a ceremony in the feudal era as well. Modern ceremonies are...uhm..." She didn't want to say /diluted/ for fear of offending her grandfather. "...different from how they were performed back then."

Her grandfather fingered his chin at that.

Her mother just smirked knowingly.

---

(1) Although the Higurashi home has four bedrooms, it has only one bathroom, and it's on the bottom floor, according to the canonical floorplan. 


	12. An Obscure Prefecture

Endings and Beginnings

Spammy notes (with one minor spoiler) on nailing down a timeframe for this story:

a. Apparently Kagome's birthday is July 3, 1981, according to a third party who has access to Rumiko Takahashi's character profile book, meaning the series starts July 2, 1996, but page 13 of the English version of manga issue 1 says it starts in 1997? Aaargh! I hate inconsistencies.

b. In Japan, the school year runs from early April to late March.

c. In Japan, senior high runs for three years.

d. Presumably, Kagome was in her last year of junior high when the series started.

e. Kagome had been planning on attending college, and the university entrance exams are in February, and would probably take a lot of cramming time.

f. Regardless of the year (2000 or 2001, depending on whether Kagome turned 15 in 1996 or 1997), Kagome is four months shy of 19 now. I'm finding contradictory info on the age one is considered an adult in Japan (18 or 20?). So I might have to go back and change the two comments regarding Kagome being an adult to "practically an adult" or somesuch.

g. Her status as a non-adult may not matter much, given that Jii-chan can perform a ceremony at the family shrine whenever he feels like it, and Kagome doesn't have any need for the ceremony to be "legal" since she'll be living in the feudal era. In the feudal era, she'd be considered an adult at a younger age.

h. I want the marriages to occur in late March or early April when the Sakura trees are blooming in Tokyo / Edo (a symbol of "beginnings"). (I hope nobody considers that a big spoiler, given the way the fic is progressing.)

When I began writing this fic I assumed Kagome was between senior high and college, but that would mean she only had the short spring break to defeat Naraku, which doesn't seem plausible (given that it was a four-day trek each way, not counting how long it took to actually locate him from the info Myoga shared with the group).

So I'm forced to change the timeframe to sometime in March, before graduation...thus substantiating Kagome's claim that she didn't have much time to decide. Meaning I had to go back and change the reference in chapter 1 from "a few months" to "next month".

Yes, sometimes I can be a stickler for details. My neglected Harry Potter fic has a bunch of goofs that I have to go back and fix sometime.

Oh, I finally went back and gave each chapter a title. I'm still not happy with the titles for chapters 5, 9, and 11. Chapter 11 almost became "Dog-Eared Nephews", but I worried that would take away from the humor of Souta's innocent question. Suggestions are welcome.

Chapter 12

The next day, Kagome had to attend classes to turn in a bundle of assignments and take a few make-up tests. She knew this promised to be a long, boring day, but things started looking up when Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka caught up to her and asked her to join them for lunch.

As they sat down to eat at WacDonald's (the fast-food restaurant they frequented not because the food was good, but because it was cheap), Kagome's friends all stared at her expectantly, wanting to be filled in on the goings-on in her life.

"Mmmm," Kagome intoned as she chewed the first bite of her hamburger, seemingly enjoying it as if she'd been deprived of this food for a while.

Her friends exchanged quizzical glances and shrugged.

"You're looking good, Kagome," Ayumi commented. "You were gone so long this time that we were getting worried about you."

Eri and Yuka nodded in agreement.

Kagome looked up from her meal. "Thanks. Maybe my mood is just showing through."

"You're happy about something?"

Kagome nodded. "You could say that. Do you remember the time you met my friend, Inuyasha?" (1)

"You mean the haafu with natural platinum-blonde hair we met in your room?", Eri asked. (2)

"Yeah. Anyway, things kindof got serious between us."

The other girls gasped.

Yuka dropped a french fry. "You don't mean--"

Kagome blushed profusely. "No, no! We didn't do /that!"

Her friends sighed with relief.

Kagome explained, "He was finally able to let go of his former...girlfriend, and so he told me how he felt about me."

"Well, it's about time!", Ayumi declared. "He was two-timing you for ages..."

Kagome shook her head. "No, you don't understand. It's because of him that she was...seriously hurt, twice, but it wasn't his fault, but he always felt guilty about it, and he had made a promise to her that kept him from opening up to me, but she finally came to her senses and admitted that their relationship could never return to how it had been in the beginning." Of course, she had to substitute "hurt" for "killed".

"Ohhh..."

Kagome had to drink some of her soda after rambling on like that. "After graduation, I'm going to move to his prefecture so we can be together. But it's really, really rural, and they don't even have telephone or mail service. But I've visited him and I really like it there. You wouldn't believe how clean the air is, and how clear the water is. They don't have any pollution there."

"I can see how the air and water quality would appeal to someone who's as sick as you tend to be," Ayumi commented.

"That's great, but...where is this, exactly?", Eri asked.

"And does this mean you're giving up college?", Yuka chimed in.

Kagome hesitantly picked up her hamburger again to buy some time to think, kicking herself for not having thought through these predictable questions last night. Finally, she answered, "It's a really obscure prefecture, I can't even remember the name of it. And yeah, he means that much to me. He's...he's building me a house there."

"A house?", they all asked incredulously.

Kagome nodded. "I think he plans to propose to me after it's built."

"Oh, Kagome...that's wonderful!"

"You're so lucky to have someone like him!"

"You'll try to stay in contact, right?"

"Thanks. I'd like to, but like I said, it's really rural, and it'll be next to impossible to get a message through. I'm sorry..."

Ayumi smiled. "We understand. What matters most is that you're happy and well-taken-care of."

Eri and Yuka nodded in agreement, again.

"Thanks, guys. You know I'll miss you a lot."

"We'll miss you too, Kagome."

---

(1) A reference to episode 160: The Violent, Two-Timing Boy who brings Happiness

(2) haafu: half-Japanese, half-foreigner 


	13. Unprecedented Maturity

Endings and Beginnings

Chapter 13

Miroku stood beside Kaede, helping her prepare an herbal medicine kit. Outside, Shippou could be heard playing with the local children, including the orphaned hanyou that were rescued from Crimson Horai Island. (1)

"Houshi, wherefore hast thy beloved gone off to?"

"Yesterday, Sango took Kohaku back to her village to retrieve some items from their old home. I believe she also wanted to spend some time alone with him."

"I understand. She loves her brother dearly, and probably hasn't had many opportunities to talk with him in recent years."

Miroku nodded. "Lady Kaede, you seemed enthusiastic about teaching Kagome..."

"Aye. I believe she has even more potential than Kikyou had."

"Why do you say that?"

Kaede finished wrapping the bundle, and sat down. Miroku joined her on the floor.

"Kagome embodies a unique balance of courage, love, friendship, and wisdom--the attributes that Midoriko forged into the Shikon no Tama," she began.

"...and by remarkable coincidence, the hanyou Gyuoh found those same attributes individually in Inuyasha, Sango, Shippou, and me, respectively, when he wanted to forge his own jewel." (2)

"Aye. Such a balance is difficult to find in one person. She is brave, compassionate, outgoing, and level-headed. This combination contributes to her spiritual strength. I daresay it is an even better balance than Kikyou had, even before Tsubaki placed that horrible curse upon her. (3) I am at a loss to find a single flaw in her constitution, save it be her lack of self-confidence, but even that has improved with time. I do not wish to speak ill of my dear sister, but she is, or was, lacking in some of these divine attributes. I believe that the part of Kikyou's soul that was reincarnated into Kagome gained this better balance as part of her own spiritual refinement, so that she would not need to be reincarnated a second time." (4)

"I see what you mean. Shippou commented that she was more charitable than anyone else he knew. Kagome also possesses an indomitable spirit, and tremendous determination. Perhaps that is what inspires Inuyasha so much when she's around him."

"It would not surprise me. Speaking of Inuyasha, I haven't seen him all day...do you know what he is up to?"

Miroku nodded, and explained, "He's searching for the ideal location for Kagome's house at the moment. Something close to the village, yet secluded, easily defensible, and with a nice view. He almost seems to have a new sense of purpose now."

Kaede smiled. "I have no doubt he'll succeed...when he puts his mind to something, he always seems to accomplish his goal, doesn't he?"

At that moment, Inuyasha excitedly burst into Kaede's hut. "Miroku! I've found it!"

Miroku chuckled. "Speak of the devil..."

Inuyasha gave him a quizzical look, then brandished Tessaiga and looked around, sniffing. "Devil? Where?"

"Nevermind. I presume you've found the perfect location?"

"Yeah. A huge oak tree not far from the stream. Can you do something to protect it from fire and lightning?"

Miroku nodded. "I could, with Lady Kaede's help."

"I would be happy to oblige," the elderly priestess volunteered.

Inuyasha smiled, and nodded once to show his appreciation.

Kaede thought to take this opportunity to mention something. "Inuyasha, I had a thought regarding the Shikon no Tama."

The hanyou sat down by the monk and priestess. "Yeah?"

"When the time comes for thee to make thy wish, assuming thou trusteth Kagome, thou shouldst consider letting her make the wish on thy behalf."

"Because she's spiritually pure?"

Kaede nodded. "Exactly."

"Keh. I'm one step ahead of you."

Kaede arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Promise me you won't tell this to anyone, first."

Kaede and Miroku exchanged quizzical glances.

"Very well, Inuyasha. What art thou planning?"

Inuyasha adopted a very serious tone. "I've known for a long time that any impure being would never be able to get the jewel to grant them their wish exactly as they wanted it."

Kaede nodded. "Thou art much wiser than I would've given thee credit for, then."

Inuyasha glared at her for a moment, then calmed himself down.

"Go on," Miroku urged.

Inuyasha continued, "With Kagome making her home in this time, I really can't think of anything more that I want, assuming she'll take me as her mate. Maybe I'm just not creative enough."

Kaede blinked.

Inuyasha went on, "I realized that, first of all, the Shikon no Tama was never rightfully mine. It was entrusted to Kikyou, and I stole it. I think it was fate for it to have resurfaced inside Kagome. Second, of everyone I know, Kagome would be the most likely to get the thing to work at all. Third, I realized that she sacrificed more than anyone else in finding the shards, so by all rights, she has more claim to the jewel than I do. Fourth, she would be able to come up with a more meaningful wish than I ever could. And fifth, I don't want to be the one responsible for the well closing on her, especially if my wish was misinterpreted and turned into a curse."

Kaede and Miroku were taken aback.

The priestess spoke up. "Dost thou mean..."

Inuyasha grinned. "Yeah. I'm going to give it back to Kagome so she can make her own wish, as the ultimate wedding present."

Miroku smiled and shook his head slowly. "Inuyasha...you never cease to surprise me."

Kaede had similar sentiments. "Thou hast just demonstrated more maturity and sacrifice in one moment than I've observed in thee ever before."

"Keh!"

---

(1) A reference to Inuyasha the Movie 4 - Crimson Horai Island

(2) A reference to episode 95: Those Who Created the Jewel of Four Souls, Part Two

(3) A reference to episode 147-148: A Fateful Love Song Before We Met

(4) I thought I read somewhere about a Buddist, Shinto, or pre-Shinto belief regarding spiritual refinement prior to each reincarnation, but now I've lost it and it bothers me that I can't substantiate this. 


	14. Familiar Territory

Endings and Beginnings

Note: I updated the summary for this story, not that it matters much, but now it gives a vague hint of something to come.

Chapter 14

This well-travelled road was the backbone of his lands, connecting the largest and most prosperous villages together. Traders made good use of it, distributing resources from where they were abundant to where they were not.

Unfortunately, it also tended to attract lesser youkai and bandits, who would lie in wait in the shadows, then strike at unsuspecting passers-by. Thus, he had an obligation to periodically travel the road himself, and rid it of those who threatened the lives of his people and the primitive economy of his lands.

Such a pair of thieves had the audacity to ambush him. One brandished a katana, the other a scythe.

The first thief gestured towards him with the katana, issuing a threat. "Halt! Surrender your money and your furs or we'll kill you!"

The traveller and his companion came to a stop. His eyes narrowed, while a sneer began to grace his lips.

The second thief seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if suddenly realizing they'd just made a fatal mistake by picking the wrong traveller.

"This Sesshoumaru does not tolerate such insolence."

Those were the last words the would-be assailants ever heard, as he made quick work of them with his light whip.

"Excellent, Lord Sesshoumaru!", his retainer commended.

"Jaken, you would be wise to not patronize me. They were hardly worth my time."

"Y-Yes, of course, Lord Sesshoumaru!" /Baka, the kappa youkai chided himself.

The taiyoukai promptly resumed his previous pace, while Jaken tagged along at a slightly greater distance than before.

Soon they were upon the final hill of their journey. Sesshoumaru paused at the crest, so he could survey his castle in the valley beyond.

Jaken's mind was elsewhere as usual, and he very nearly ran into his master from behind, flailing his arms wildly before falling over backwards. He started sweating profusely when he realized just how close he'd come to angering Sesshoumaru for the second time in only an hour.

It was early afternoon now, and Sesshoumaru smelled imminent rain; he'd timed his arrival just right. Not that a little rain would really ruin his day; he'd managed to release a lot of stress by walking the road and picking off some malicious humans and youkai.

As they approached the castle's main entrance, Jaken ran ahead and announced the lord's presence, so the servants inside would assemble.

"Welcome home, Lord Sesshoumaru!", a concourse of cooks, maids, gardeners, groundskeepers, advisors, and others greeted him more or less in unison. Most of them were human, but a few were youkai with a human-like appearance.

He stopped to address his chief advisor. "What has transpired in my absence?"

The elderly man before him straightened up a bit. "My lord, rats have infested one of the rice storehouses in the village of Seidai."

"Order that storehouse burned. Have a new one constructed, and filled with whatever the three closest villages can spare, and devise a plan to ration the rice until the next harvest. Also, take whatever measures possible to help ensure the other storehouses are protected from similar infestations, including those in the other villages in the land."

"It will be done, my lord."

"Is there anything else worthy of my attention?"

"No, my lord."

"Good." Sesshoumaru turned to face the head cook. "Prepare a nice dinner," he directed. A moment later he thought to add, "Include something that Rin enjoys."

"Yes, my lord," came the reply.

"Where is Rin now?"

"She is in the flower garden, my lord," answered a female voice.

"Have my bath prepared at dusk."

"Yes, my lord."

"You are all excused to return to your duties."

The entrance hall cleared out with the efficiency he'd come to expect from his staff.

"Jaken."

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"I have an errand of the utmost importance for you."

Jaken suddenly stood straight, and practically beamed with pride. He supposed this meant he had his master's favor again, and he was eager to please him by doing his absolute best. "What would you have me do, my lord?"

"I intend to have Rin tutored. I want you to find three candidate teachers for her, and I will interview them personally. The one I choose will reside here in the castle, and be paid in accordance with their experience."

Jaken sighed at such a seemingly menial task. Rin again. It seemed she was weighing more heavily on Sesshoumaru's mind with each passing month.

"Yes, my lord."

"That is all," Sesshoumaru announced, before heading in the direction of the flower garden.

---

It had been a while since either Sango or Kohaku last saw their old, desserted village. A thick growth of vines had overtaken the outer walls, and some of the structures that had previously survived, had since collapsed due to weather and lack of maintenance.

They set their packs and weapons aside on the porch of their old house, or rather what remained of it, and Kirara reverted to her smaller form.

Sango set the Hiraikotsu down as well. "Kohaku, I want to show you something. Come with me."

She led him to a simple, unassuming grave marker in the village cemetary, then kneeled down in front of it and placed a flower in front of it.

Kohaku walked up to her side, and watched her for a moment before speaking. "Was this someone in our family?"

Sango nodded silently.

Kohaku knelt down beside his sister and looked at the marker, but drew a blank.

"This is our mother's grave, Kohaku. I wanted to show you where it was."

"Oh. I...I don't remember her."

She shook her head. "You wouldn't."

"What was she like, sis?"

"She was highly regarded by everyone who knew her. She was very loving and strong-willed. I don't think she approved of our father being a taijiya, but she was so committed to him that she stood steadfast by his side without complaint. I can only hope that when the time comes, you will find someone as good as her to be your companion."

Kohaku turned his attention to Sango. "How did she die?"

"She died...giving birth to you."

He gasped. "Nobody ever told me that before..."

Sango wrapped an arm around her brother. "I know."

"Then I'm responsible for killing both her /and/ our father..."

"Oh, Kohaku. You weren't responsible for either one." Sango pulled him close and hugged him tightly. "There is nothing that anyone could have done. This wasn't your fault. Sometimes things are just fated to be, and sometimes evil people will manipulate us. But you didn't have a choice in either case, and I don't want you for an instant to believe you were to blame for our parents' deaths."

Kohaku started crying. "It's not fair..."

"Shhh. I know. We've been through a lot, and lost our family and many of our friends, but we still have each other. Right now, that's all that matters. I will always love you and be there for you. Never doubt that."

Kohaku sniffled. "Sango, where will I live now?"

"Miroku and I would like you to live with us, once we build a house for ourselves in Kaede's village."

"You'd...let me live with you?"

Sango was startled by the question. "Of course. We want you to be close so we can take care of you. We'll start a new life together. No more hunting youkai. No more brooding over getting revenge. No more feeling responsible for things that were out of our control."

"I'd like that."

She kissed him gently on the top of his head. "We have so much to look forward to now. Will you promise me that you'll always be there for me?"

Kohaku smiled a bit. "I promise." 


	15. Fluffiness

Endings and Beginnings

Note: Kagura won't be appearing in this story, per chapter 374 of the manga (which occurs after the end of the anime).

ear-tweak dot com has scans of the manga (with English translations) beyond what is currently available in the US. I admit I haven't read the manga, but intend to someday.

This chapter has minimal impact on the story (read: it's filler), but because I love the contrast between Sesshoumaru and Rin, and I want to set things up for a possible sequel, I'm including it.

Chapter 15

Sesshoumaru stepped into the flower garden, and quickly spotted Rin. But rather than immediately announce his presence, he decided to silently observe the girl for a candid moment.

Rin was cheerily humming as she finished weaving a garland of flowers, then placed it and a matching one around Ah-Un's necks. The two-headed dragon was resting by the fountain in the center of the garden, and didn't seem to mind the attention Rin was giving it.

Sesshoumaru realized that he probably learned more about himself from taking care of Rin than he would care to admit. On many occasions he had caught himself adjusting his plans for her benefit, but was always careful to hide his true motives lest someone discover and take advantage of them.

He found the absurdity of the scene before him somewhat amusing. Rin, now eleven or twelve years old, was almost as innocent and carefree as the day he encountered her, and here she was, frolicking with a potentially dangerous beast that few sane humans would have the courage to approach.

Ah-Un had become protective of the girl over the years, and she had come to think of it much as a typical child might think of a particularly large family dog. They were pretty much inseparable whenever Rin wasn't inside the castle.

Sesshoumaru made a gesture to silently dismiss the servant who had been keeping an eye on Rin from a corner of the garden, then stepped towards the fountain.

Rin heard movement behind her, and turned around. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she excitedly ran to him and hugged his leg. "Lord Sesshoumaru! Rin thought you might not come back!"

He looked down at the girl. Despite his stoic demeanor, he couldn't help but feel a certain paternal joy inside as she expressed her affections for him.

"This Sesshoumaru will never abandon you." It had only been two weeks. He wondered why she continued to worry about him despite the fact that he consistently returned unharmed. If she didn't trust him to return, who could she possibly trust in his stead?

"Where did you go?"

Had anyone else asked him that, they'd promptly be reprimanded for their impertinence. But a completely different set of unspoken rules applied to Rin, especially when nobody else was around; he had no intention of treating her as he would a member of his staff. If anything, he desired for her to be comfortable around him, though he was uncertain as to what role he would have her fill in his life. Could he ever truly think of her as his daughter?

Sesshoumaru crouched down before her. "I travelled far in order to destroy Naraku."

The way he worded it, it was obvious to her that he'd succeeded. She buried her face in his chest and hugged him again. "Rin is glad."

Sesshoumaru hoped that her persistent nightmares involving him would cease now, or at least diminish in frequency. He placed his hand on her shoulder to reassure her that all was well--it was as close as he ever allowed himself to come to embracing her.

Rin understood the gesture, and that was enough to make her feel warm and fuzzy inside. "Is Kohaku all right?"

Sesshoumaru blinked, finding the question to be somewhat out of the blue. "The boy who was once under his control?"

Rin nodded.

Sesshoumaru hadn't paid him much attention at Naraku's fortress, but he did recall seeing him watching the final confrontation. "I presume so."

She smiled. "Rin hopes she will see him again."

It occurred to him that being raised here, isolated from other children, did have its disadvantages--but he was wary to let her roam about outside the castle, and loathe to invite other children inside. Rather than give her a promise to try to arrange for more opportunities for social interaction, he merely said, "I understand."

Rin suddenly noticed something. "You have blood on your clothes." She lifted his sleeve to see if there was a wound on his arm.

It was then that he realized he should have changed into clean clothes before speaking with Rin; his desire to see her had gotten the best of him. "It is not my blood," he declared. He chose to spare her the details of his 'roadside cleanup' efforts.

"Oh." She knew better than to ask whose it was.

He thought now was as good a time as any to inform her of his plans for her education. "Rin, soon you will have someone to teach you to read and write, among other things."

"Rin wants you to teach her."

"I do not have the time to tutor you in everything you need to know."

She pouted.

"But, when you are ready, there /are/ some things that I may teach you personally." He had in mind certain subjects that came in handy when running a small empire. Negotiating. Keeping your minions in line. Resource management. Self-defense. Things that she didn't seem interested in at her young age, and may never be interested in.

That changed her attitude, and she beamed at him. "Rin will be a good student!"

Her enthusiasm knew no bounds; it was enough to make up for his utter lack of that attribute. Perhaps that was why he enjoyed her company; she was everything that he could not be, a perfect complement to his incompleteness.

"Will Rin be one of your servants after she's taught?"

Sesshoumaru was taken aback, though he could see where she was coming from; she loved to follow his every command to the letter. "No."

"What will Rin do, then?"

"That will be for you to decide when you are older."

It suddenly began to rain, and Sesshoumaru stood up. "We will go inside now. You will get cleaned up for dinner."

"Hai!" (1)

---

(1) "Hai" is a useful word with numerous meanings including "yes", "acknowledged", "OK", "fine", etc., and I'll probably start using it from time to time when a plain "yes" seems too formal in English. I want to limit her uses of "Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru!" when his staff isn't watching. 


	16. An End to Something that Never Was

Endings and Beginnings

Note: My apologies for the huge delay. This chapter was mostly written a month ago, but I wasn't happy with it, but I've been too preoccupied with other things to work on it. Today I needed to get my mind off things, so I took the opportunity to make some edits and post. While this chapter is rather on the dull side, it's somewhat essential to get out of the way. The story will pick up from here, and I will try to post subsequent chapters on a weekly basis if I can.

Chapter 16

Friday afternoon came, and Kagome was looking forward to returning to the feudal era once more before graduating.

Although she planned to relocate to Inuyasha's time, meaning her high school diploma would be useless, she still wanted some sense of closure and purpose to all the stress she'd endured while living a double life over the past four years. It would be somewhat anti-climactic to simply quit and dissappear into the well before graduation, and she wouldn't be able to do that anyway without arousing suspicion and putting her family under scrutiny.

As she left the school grounds to walk home, a familiar voice greeted her from behind.

"Higurashi?"

Kagome turned to face the person who was now walking beside her. "Houjo." She'd actually hoped to avoid him until the graduation ceremony.

"I haven't seen you in a while. I take it you're feeling better?"

Kagome nodded. "That, and I had to get caught up with my tests and assignments, regardless."

He produced a small bouquet of roses and offered them to her. "I...I wanted you to have these..."

A sweatdrop formed on Kagome's forehead as she hesitantly accepted the offering. "Um, thanks..."

"Do you mind if I walk you home?"

She cringed, realizing that now would probably be the best opportunity she'd have to let him know of her plans. "Uhm...okay. Actually, there's something I've been meaning to tell you, anyway." She just wasn't sure how to word it.

That caught Houjo's interest. "Me, too."

Kagome blinked. "Oh?"

Houjo nodded. "I wanted to tell you that I'm going to Tokyo University, too. I was wondering if we could start spending some more time with each other...maybe form a study group, and do some other stuff together."

Kagome sighed. She knew he intended for this 'other stuff' to include a lot of dating. /I'm going to break his heart when I tell him./ She swallowed.

"Kagome?"

She blinked. Houjo had always called her by her family name until now...

"Houjo, I've decided...not to go to college."

He stopped dead in his tracks, with a stunned look on his face. "What? You're not serious...?"

She turned and leaned against a short concrete wall that ran parallel to the sidewalk. "Oh, Houjo...I'm sorry. I know you've had a crush on me for a long time...I've always appreciated the attention you've given me, and...all those health products." She remembered the large box in her closet where she'd tossed the therapeutic sandals and other things he'd given her over the years.

"What happened to make you give up your plans for the future?"

Kagome stared down at her feet. "Houjo, for the last four years, I've been...really confused. All this time, there's been another guy in my life, and I couldn't decide between you two. I tried to tell you about him several times, but somehow, I always got interrupted." She paused to let that sink in.

Houjo was speechless, unconsciously letting his mouth hang open a bit.

She looked back up at him and continued, "I couldn't begin to recount everything that he and I have been through together, but suffice it to say, there's nobody that I trust more than him. Something happened recently that allowed him to really open up to me in a way that I'd always hoped he would, and that removed any doubts I might have had about him. I've decided that after graduation, I'm going to move to his prefecture to live in a house he's building for me."

"He's building you a /house?"

She nodded. "I'm certain he's going to propose to me soon."

"Then...there's nothing I can do to make you change your mind?"

Kagome shook her head. "Houjo, I've never been more certain about anything in my life than I am about this."

"I see."

"I'm sorry, Houjo. It's something I wanted to discuss with you a long time ago, but I could never find the words. You probably hate me, now."

He thought for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "No, I don't hate you. Please don't think that."

Kagome let out a small sigh of relief. He seemed to be taking the news better than she expected.

"Will you at least tell me his name?"

She nodded. "His name is 'Inuyasha'."

"That's...a really unusual name."

Kagome wondered why she hadn't thought to invent a normal-sounding alias for Inuyasha years ago for situations like this. "You have to understand, he's from a very rural community, and the culture there is quite a bit different."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this all at once. I know it must be a huge shock to you..."

"You could say that. But, as long as you're happy, and he'll be taking good care of you, that's what really matters in the end."

Kagome smiled. "Thanks for understanding."

Houjo sighed. "I guess I should be on my way, then. I hope...you have a prosperous life with him, Higurashi." He started to turn around.

"Houjo, wait."

"Hmmm?"

Kagome set her books down on the wall, then took a step towards him. Standing on tiptoes, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for being such a good, caring friend all these years."

He blushed, then smiled. "Thanks. I'll never forget that."

--- 


	17. Promises

Endings and Beginnings

Note: Again, sorry for the delay. It's often just difficult for me to get in the right mood to do any writing.

Chapter 17

Late in the afternoon, Kagome stood beside the kitchen table, humming to herself as she tried to cram one last box of ramen packets into her knapsack. She felt fortunate that Inuyasha's favorite food was so inexpensive, but worried about what they would do later on, once the Bone-Eater's well stopped working and their supply of ramen ran out. "He'll be grumpy for weeks," she thought with a frown.

Jii-chan stepped in from the hallway and set a piece of pottery on the table. It was a beautiful antique vase, in excellent condition, with falling sakura blossoms painted on the side. "All ready to leave again, Kagome?"

"Mmm-hmm." His granddaughter looked over at him as she managed to zip the pack shut. "I'll just be gone for the weekend, Jii-chan. I won't miss any days of school next week since graduation is on Friday."

"Here, let me help you with that," he offered. He tried lifting the knapsack so Kagome could put it on more easily. His normally-beady eyes widened though when he realized how heavy it was. "My, Kagome, what are you taking with you? You'll put out your back!"

"Oh, mostly food. At least I don't have to take my books with me this time, or it would be even heavier."

Jii-chan shook his head disapprovingly. "Keep this up, and you'll be as short as me when you get to be my age!"

Kagome snickered. "Oh, Jii-chan, don't worry. I could never get /that/ short!" She patted him on the top of his head, smirking.

Jii-chan muttered something as a sweatdrop formed on his forehead.

"You know I'm just teasing you. Anyway, once Inuyasha makes his wish and the well stops working, I won't be travelling as much, so I won't be breaking my back anyway."

"Hmmm. So you're still wanting to go through with this, and stay in the feudal era?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes, I'm quite certain."

Jii-chan pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. "Kagome, have you considered what a responsibility you'll have, living in the past?"

Kagome blinked. "Responsibility? What do you mean?"

Jii-chan steepled his fingers. "You will have knowledge of future events, such as the fires that devastated Edo centuries ago and took over a hundred thousand lives. You will be in a position to change the very course of history, and may unwittingly do so, even if you try to be careful."

Kagome pulled out a chair and sat sideways in it so the chair's back wouldn't interfere with her knapsack. "I hadn't thought about that. But nothing I've done in the past so far has ever changed the present."

"But how can you know that? If you changed something in the past that affected the present, wouldn't your memory instantly be changed to reflect the /new/ present, thus making you ignorant of the change?"

Kagome blinked. "Uhmm...I see your point. I can't remember ever noticing a change before, but I might've just forgotten about it."

"You really should start wearing clothing from that period as well, so you can keep a low profile, lest you inadvertently change the history of Japanese fashion."

Kagome chuckled. "Who knows, maybe modern school uniforms resemble this outfit of mine specifically because I wore it to the past so much?"

Jii-chan blinked. "That's not funny!"

"I'm just teasing! You worry too much, Jii-chan. I really can't believe that anything I do in the past ever has a lasting effect. I think fate somehow intervenes to prevent me from changing the present." Kagome stood up and pushed her chair back under the table.

Jii-chan made a long sigh. "Do as you will, then. I certainly can't stop you. But please don't take it lightly."

"All right. I promise."

"Have a good weekend, Kagome."

"You too."

---

Kagome bumped into her brother on her way to the well-house. "Oh, hi, Souta!"

"Are you going back through the well?"

Kagome nodded. "Just for the weekend, though."

"Oh." Souta looked a bit relieved, but not enthusiastic.

"Is something wrong?"

"No...it's nothing."

Kagome looked at him with concern. /He's going to miss me/ she thought to herself. "I'll spend some time with you next week, okay? Just you and me. We can do whatever you want."

That seemed to get his attention. "You mean it?"

Kagome smiled. "Yeah, really. I don't know how much longer I'll be living in the present, so I want to make my last days here count more."

Souta smiled a bit. "Can we go to the spring carnival together?"

"Sure, that would be great!" Kagome ruffled Souta's hair. "See you Sunday night."

"Bye!"

---

Meanwhile, in a clearing in the woods, Inuyasha slashed at a small tree, felling it effortlessly. Then he proceeded to slice the branches off and cut the trunk into manageable lengths.

Shippou dragged the pieces one at a time to a growing pile. Miroku was nearby, reviewing some plans he'd drawn up based on Inuyasha's ideas.

"It's nearly dusk. We'll have to stop work and continue in the morning," Miroku suggested.

Inuyasha nodded. Though he could see plenty well in the dark, he had to admit he was starting to get tired himself. "All right. I'll go catch us some fish, then."

Miroku smiled. "That sounds perfect."

Inuyasha turned and dissappeared through the thick of trees at the perimiter of the clearing, heading towards the river.

Shippou hopped over to where the monk was seated, and tried to make sense of his plans, but quickly lost interest. "When do you think Kagome and Sango will be back, Miroku?"

"I don't know, Shippou. It's already been longer than I anticipated. I know they can both take care of themselves, and Sango has Kohaku and Kirara with her as well, so I'm not worried yet...but I miss their company as much as you do. I think Inuyasha is starting to get a bit irritable without Kagome around."

Shippou smirked. "Ya think?"

"Hey! I heard that!", came a distant voice. 


	18. Caught Off Guard

Endings and Beginnings

Notes:

I still have over 20 plot points to incorporate...so this fic could easily run for a while longer.

The vase mentioned in the last chapter will figure into a couple future plot points, but a reader comment speculating on the symbolism of the pattern painted on its side made me realize that it would be more appropriate if the sakura blossoms were NOT falling but instead just arranged in a simple pattern. Sorry about that :) I wasn't thinking.

This is unrelated to the fanfic, but I've discovered that Inuyasha weapon/attack names make good computer names. For instance, the laptop I'm typing this on is named Tenseiga. I also have a newly-rebuilt desktop system named Tessaiga, and a low-power PC for running overnight downloads named Foxfire. In the future I'll be building a file server named Souunga or Banryuu. A future Linux box will be named Tokijin. :)

My fiancee and I have nine computers between us, soon to be ten or eleven...maybe we can work a Kazanna or Hiraikotsu in there somewhere...

Chapter 18

Despite Miroku and Shippou's comments, Inuyasha brought back a generous catch of fish. He felt he owed his friends because of the hours of work they'd contributed to his not-so-little project, and this was one way to help repay the debt.

They decided they would cook and eat in the clearing by the tree, then return to the village afterward.

Shippou had been getting good at starting campfires in recent months, and somehow he ended up being the chef by default when Kagome and Sango weren't around. He wasn't complaining though, since this meant he had first pickings, in contrast to his former situation.

Inuyasha was the first to finish his meal. He stretched and leaned back against the tree, crossing his arms behind his head. "Miroku, I'll help you build a house for you and Sango when we're done with this. It's the least I could do, for all you've done for me."

That offer took Miroku and Shippou by surprise.

"I would appreciate that, Inuyasha," Miroku replied.

Shippou bounded over to Inuyasha's side. "What about me? I helped too!"

Inuyasha reached over and ruffled Shippou's hair. "Don't worry, you won't be left out. I'd be surprised if Kagome doesn't invite you to live with her. But don't tell her I said anything."

Shippou's face lit up at the prospect. "Really?"

Inuyasha grinned. "And assuming she'll agree to be my mate, I think I'd...I'd like for you to live with us, too."

Miroku had the sudden realization that Shippou could fill the role of Inuyasha and Kagome's adoptive son, since they wouldn't be able to have any children of their own. Kagome was practically a mother to him already; it would be the perfect arrangement. The monk couldn't help but smile a bit.

At that moment, Shippou unexpectedly launched himself into Inuyasha's lap and clung tightly to his chest, beginning to cry.

Inuyasha blinked. "Er...what're you cryin' for?"

"Inuyasha," Miroku began to explain calmly, "He's just really happy that you've finally accepted him."

"Huh? Oh..." Inuyasha looked at Shippou awkwardly for a moment, then hesitantly wrapped an arm around the kitsune.

It was a Kodak moment that might've melted even Kikyou's heart. Too bad cameras didn't exist in the feudal era.

The moment was interrupted by a scream.

Inuyasha recognized the sound all too well and responded immediately, grabbing Tessaiga and bringing himself to his feet so fast that Shippou was nearly thrown off. Miroku promptly took Shippou from Inuyasha, then the hanyou lept into the darkness...in the direction of the well.

'That was definitely Kagome. She's hurt,' Inuyasha thought, panicking. He moved as fast as he could. Fortunately it was a very short trip.

When he reached the well, a terrible sight greeted him. Kagome was on the ground, holding a wound in her neck that was bleeding profusely. A bat youkai was fluttering above her, with the nearly-completed Shikon jewel in its clawed hand. As it circled overhead, it opened its mouth as if to shriek, but made no noise that Kagome could hear.

Kagome did hear the hanyou's arrival, though, and turned her head to face him. "Inuyasha! It's got the jewel!"

But Inuyasha suddenly dropped his sword and was clutching his ears in pain. "Blast it!"

The youkai hovered down towards Inuyasha as if to taunt him, and the next thing Kagome knew, Inuyasha was brought to his knees, whimpering even.

Miroku and Shippou arrived just in time to see the youkai flying away, making its escape.

Inuyasha pulled himself together, but seemed disoriented. "Miroku! Kagome's hurt...and that bat-thing took the jewel!"

Miroku instinctively started going through the motions of removing the rosary from his right hand to bring Kagome's assailant back down to the ground, then realized that it was a futile effort (seeing as how he no longer had the rosary or wind tunnel). He seemed to mutter a curse before slamming his right fist into a tree in frustration.

Shippou ran up to Kagome to see how bad she was hurt, and winced. "Inuyasha, we have to get her to Kaede, fast!"

Inuyasha growled at the youkai as it dissappeared in the distance, then picked up and sheathed Tessaiga and crouched down at Kagome's side.

"Baka! I told you not to come through the well at night when I'm not here!" After he said it, he realized he was overly harsh.

Kagome's lips were trembling, and it was obvious she was about to lose her composure. "I'm ... sorry," she managed to whisper.

Inuyasha shook his head. "No, I am." He carefully picked up Kagome in his arms, knapsack and all. Shippou hopped onto his back just as he started started running towards Kaede's village.

Miroku was left alone by the well, unable to move fast enough to keep up with either Inuyasha or the bat youkai. His heart sank. Rarely did he feel so helpless. If only he had Kirara with him...then the situation would be different. 


	19. A New Pack

Endings and Beginnings

Technical notes:

A reviewer asked about my preferred spelling of "Tessaiga" for Inuyasha's sword. Here is a quote from the Wikipedia article for "Tessaiga":

"In the English adaptations of InuYasha, Tessaiga is called Tetsusaiga (or Tetsaiga) due to an error in translation in the early days of the manga when the tiny ? (tsu) kana (which indicates a glottal stop, or a doubling of the consonant that follows it) was misread as a full-sized ? (tsu) kana, altering the romanization and pronunciation of the word. Both Tetsusaiga and Tessaiga can come from the kanji; the proper spelling depends on how the name is pronounced. The proper romanization is Tessaiga. By the time Viz, the company that translates the anime and manga, had realized the error it was too late."

So my spelling is an attempt to be technically correct rather than following established convention. Chapter 1 originally used "Tetsusaiga" until I came across this information.

Also, I spell "Inuyasha" without a capital "Y" because Japanese doesn't have capital letters; it's only by the rule of lanugages that use the Roman alphabet that the first letter of a proper name is capitalized. Capitalizing the "Y" would only serve to emphasize that the name is composed of two words ("dog" and "demon") and has no usefulness among people who already know this.

I tend to use the "ou" variation of other characters' names ("Kikyou" instead of "Kikyo", "Souta" instead of "Sota", etc.), based on Aino's webpage at this URL:

autumney (dot) net/iy/info/namelist.htm

I've been inconsistent with how I handle "thought bubbles". I originally surrounded them with slashes to indicate italics, but now I seem to favor using single quotes. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

ffdotnet sometimes deletes trailing slash marks (/) so I may switch to uploading my work in Open Office format instead of plain text.

Special double feature! Two chapters in two days!

Chapter 19

Kagome realized she must've passed out on the way to Kaede's hut, because the next thing she knew, she was wrapped in a blanket on the floor as the elderly miko treated the wound in her neck. She blushed a bit upon realizing that the top part of her blood-stained school uniform had been removed while she was unconscious, but at least she was covered up now. Shippou was curled up sleeping nearby.

"Rest, child," Kaede admonished upon seeing that her new apprentice had roused.

"The jewel?", Kagome inquired.

"The bat-youkai got away with it," Inuyasha explained. He was seated on his knees beside Kagome, directly opposite Kaede. "Does it hurt much?"

Kagome nodded. "What happened to you out there?"

Inuyasha cringed. "You didn't hear that noise?"

"What noise?"

"That youkai made the most awful, head-splitting noise I've ever heard. I couldn't take it. Your miko powers must've protected you..."

Kagome shook her head. "No, it was probably more like a dog whistle."

Inuyasha looked confused. "What's a dog whistle?"

"It's something that makes sound that only a dog can hear. They're used in my time by dog trainers, but they don't always hurt the dog. Sometimes they're only used to get their attention. I guess you could say they're kindof like my time's version of the Kotodama rosary." (1)

"Feh."

Kaede arched an eyebrow. "Sounds that can't be heard by humans?"

"Yeah. They're really high pitch."

"I see. I'm going to fetch some water. I'll leave ye alone for a short while," Kaede said as she stood up and walked out of the hut.

Kagome rolled her head so she could see Inuyasha's frowning face. "Inuyasha, I'm really sorry about earlier. I was just so eager to see you again...and with Naraku gone, I let my guard down."

"I know."

"So I guess we're going after the jewel tomorrow?"

Inuyasha's face contorted in thought. After a moment he answered, "If you're feeling well enough to move about and shoot your arrows. I might not be able to get close enough to it before it makes that God-awful noise, and it'll easily fly out of Miroku's range to hit it with an ofuda."

"I can do it. I'll...make up for losing it to him."

"Hey," Inuyasha began as he cupped Kagome's hand, "What's done is done, so don't worry about having lost it. We'll get it back eventually. All that matters to me right now is that you're okay. I'm just glad we hid that last shard, or else..."

"Or else we'd be facing something worse than Naraku," Kagome finished the sentence.

"Exactly. Kagome...all I want is for all this to be over, so we can get on with our lives and be together." Suddenly, it looked like he was starting to get emotional. "Kagome..."

"Inuyasha?" Kagome bit her lower lip in anticipation.

Inuyasha recomposed himself and leaned forward, caressing Kagome's hand as he did so. "Kagome, I was going to save this until your house was finished. But...will you be my alpha female? Even if we can't have pups of our own?"

'That was certainly an unexpected way to pop the question,' Kagome thought, almost chuckling. It was so like him to think in terms like that. "Could Shippou be part of our 'pack'?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah. I'd like that."

"Then I accept," Kagome announced confidently. "I was wondering when you'd ask."

"I love you, Kagome..." Inuyasha leaned the rest of the way forward and embraced her, then kissed her without any hesitation.

Kagome's eyes were getting moist, and a few tears streaked down towards her ears. "Oh, Inuyasha. I love you too. I'm so happy. I just wish the circumstances were different."

A small sniffle alerted them that Shippou was awake and getting choked up himself. "I'm so happy, too!"

"Oi! When did you wake up?"

Shippou bounced over to Inuyasha and Kagome and made it a group hug, grinning. "A long time ago!"

Kaede cleared her throat at the door. "May I come back in, now?"

Inuyasha just sighed, and Kagome couldn't help but giggle.

---

(1) Kotodama rosary: Inuyasha's beads of subjugation 


	20. Reflections

Endings and Beginnings

My apologies, again, for the lateness of this installment. I simply have far too many things happening at once to produce this fanfic in a timely manner.

Chapter 20

Kirara blazed a trail in the night sky, not unlike a slow-moving shooting star, as Sango and Kohaku headed back to Kaede's village. Kohaku was half-asleep, so Sango insisted that he ride in front of her, so she could make sure he wouldn't fall off. While the air was cool, it wasn't uncomfortable, since the firecat radiated plenty of body heat.

Sango preferred to not travel at night; this was partly due to Kirara's fiery paws and tails, which tended to attract the attention of unwelcome youkai in the darkness. However, this evening she made an exception. While she enjoyed the several days she spent alone with her brother, she had to admit that she sorely missed Miroku's company. And also, she didn't trust the lecherous monk to keep his hands to himself for quite so long.

She scratched behind Kirara's ears. "Faster, Kirara," she whispered.

--

Miroku restlessly sat awake in Kaede's hut, growing more anxious regarding Sango's lateness in returning, and also the prospect of the group's adventure not being over quite yet.

The fire in the center of the floor was dying down, so the light was too dim for him to work on one of the sudoku (1) puzzles Lady Kagome had brought him. He smiled to himself, remembering the occasion when Kagome gave them to him a few weeks ago. He originally mistook them for mysterious numerological ofuda from her time, and it took a while for her to explain what they were for. Kagome admitted to not having much interest in them, and she didn't know all the rules for solving them, so Miroku had to infer them from scratch. The sudoku turned out to be an engaging diversion whenever he needed to get his mind off things.

He glanced towards Shippou, who was nestled between Inuyasha and Kagome as they slept in one corner of the hut. Well, Inuyasha wasn't actually sleeping, of course; that much was revealed by his partially-open eyes, if not past experience. The hanyou was positioned protectively against the wall, ready to draw Tessaiga at a moment's notice. Miroku imagined the dire consequences should he lay a finger on the young miko's behind. Not that he would, of course. She would tell Sango about it if he did. And then he'd be introduced to Hiraikotsu. Again.

Miroku wondered what Inuyasha was thinking about...and why he seemed to be making a low growl.

--

_Why is that monk looking this way? Is he going to make a move on Kagome? Has he totally lost his mind? I'll have to keep a closer eye on him from now on. Grrr!_

--

Mrs. Higurashi slouched in a chair on her balcony, wrapped in a throw blanket. It was quiet, save the occasional chirping of insects in the nearby woods. She knew her time with Kagome was running out.

_What would her father think if he were here right now?_

_She's still so young, but in the last few years while living a double life, she's shown more responsibility than ever before, always keeping up with her schoolwork somehow or other. She probably learned more in the past than in the present, what with having to develop and rely on her survival and medicinal skills so much. I suppose Jii-chan was right about her being ready to make such a decision._

_At least now that her quest is over, she won't be in as much danger as before. I hope._

_Souta will take it the hardest. They became so close after their father died. He won't admit it, but he really looks up to Kagome. She helped him build up so much confidence(2)._

_How will I explain her absence to the rest of the family?_

--

Jii-chan laid awake in his bed.

_Any day now, those two will announce their engagement. At last I'll be able to officiate a proper wedding ceremony without any of those modern variations our shrine patrons always ask for._

_And I have the perfect wedding gift, something that's been in our family for at least ten generations..._

Somehow, he overlooked the irony in that.

--

Souta rolled over to look at his alarm clock.

_Not yet 3 a.m.?_

_I wonder what Kagome's doing now. I need to ask her what I should give Hitomi for her birthday. Why can't she and inu no niichan just live here with us? It's not fair that I can't go through the well to see them..._

--

Sango caught herself yawning, and had to admit that she needed to sleep soon. In her semi-awake state, her mind started to drift and reflect on the events of the past few days.

_Mother died in childbirth. Kohaku didn't know; maybe I shouldn't have told him. He missed so much by not knowing her. At least I knew her for a little while. Why did it have to be this way?_

_And Miroku wants so many children. What if I die the same way as mother?_

She frowned, imagining Miroku without her.

_I need to talk with Kagome about this._

Suddenly, Kirara seemed to sense something, and she changed direction without warning. It caught Sango off guard. "Kirara? What's wrong?"

Kirara only growled. Kohaku woke up, and he and Sango could do nothing but hold on more tightly.

"Do you see anything, Kohaku?"

"Yes, look there..." Kohaku pointed towards a dark silhouette passing in front of a cloud illuminated by the moon.

Sango looked up towards it and cringed. "Kirara, we're way too tired to take on a youkai right now! Turn back!"

But Kirara shook her head, and continued following after the creature, though keeping a safe distance.

"Something's really wrong, Kohaku." Sango could count on one hand the number of times Kirara had ever ignored her. Usually there was a very good reason.

--

(1) The Japanese language doesn't lend itself well to crossword puzzles, so numeric sudoku puzzles generally take their place in newspapers.

(2) See "Sota's Brave Confession of Love".


	21. Maybe He's Just Masochistic

Endings and Beginnings

Chapter 21

By daybreak, Sango and Kohaku had gotten a good look at the youkai, not that Kirara had given them much of a choice in the matter. It was mammalian, about five feet tall, hideous as a gargoyle, and bipedal. Its prominent ears and wings made it resemble a bat more than anything else. It wore a loincloth, suggesting that it was probably more intelligent, and therefore more dangerous, than most other minor youkai.

Finally, it descended into the forest, landing on a thick branch of a particularly large, but dead, tree.

Kirara came to a halt, hovering above and behind the creature where it couldn't see them.

Fortunately, the wind picked up, so Sango and Kohaku felt they could speak intermittently without risking being overheard.

"I wonder why Kirara's so intent on this particular youkai," Sango whispered.

"Sis, it has something in its hand..."

Kirara moved in a bit closer, and Sango and Kohaku gasped upon recognizing the object as the Shikon no Tama, or at least, as much of it as Kagome had assembled, all but the hidden shard.

The youkai examined it for a moment, before dissappearing into a large hole in the side of the tree; apparently it had been hollowed out to serve as a nest.

Kohaku turned his head to look up at his sister. "We have to get the jewel back, before that youkai decides where to embed it."

Sango nodded. "I don't think we have the time to find the others and bring them here. We'll have to do this ourselves. Kirara, take us down so we can get ready."

The firecat complied, after finding a suitable clearing.

_I hope Kagome is all right. I hate to think what this youkai might've done to her to get the jewel._

--

Back at Kaede's hut, Inuyasha roused Kagome from her slumber. "Kagome, we have to get going."

The young priestess slowly opened her eyes and sat up. Then she experimentally poked at some bandages, before lifting the corners to see how bad the bruises were. She winced at their unsightliness.

Shippou was still asleep, and Miroku had finally keeled over from being up all night.

"Let's leave Shippou here," Inuyasha suggested.

_Starting to think like a father already, aren't you?_

"What about Miroku?", Kagome asked, looking over at the sprawled-out monk.

"He didn't get any sleep last night, so we should let him rest. Besides, without Kirara to carry him, he'll hold us up anyway."

Kagome nodded in understanding. "He'd also probably want to be here when Sango gets back. We should probably eat some protein bars before we head out."

"Fine, but let's be quick about it."

--

After changing into their exterminator outfits, Sango had the same idea. She produced the last two of the bars Kagome had given her from her pack, offering one to Kohaku. "How do you feel now?"

"I'm awake enough to fight."

"I hope so. Eat that, and we'll get to work."

Kirara had returned to her smaller form, as she normally did after flying any appreciable distance, and was resting. Sango sat down to pet her. "Good job, Kirara. If you hadn't diverted us, we might not have found the jewel until it was too late." (1)

"Mew." (2)

--

An hour passed. Kagome was riding on Inuyasha's back, heading in the general direction they had observed the bat youkai fleeing the previous night.

"Anything yet?", Inuyasha asked.

Kagome shook her head. "No, no sign of it."

Inuyasha sighed.

"Inuyasha, I'm sorry..."

"You said as much already. Don't beat yourself up over it."

_He's dealing with this a lot better than I would have expected._

"Inuyasha?"

"What?"

"Did you ever decide what you were going to wish for?"

_Dang! I don't want to spoil the surprise for her yet. Also, it would be a real let-down if I promised to give it to her but we never got it back._

"I'd rather not talk about that right now."

"Okay."

_I shouldn't have asked that, he's probably still ticked off and worried he won't get it back._

"Inuyasha..."

"What now?"

"The night we defeated Naraku. Why didn't you let me take off your rosary? You said you'd tell me later."

_I'd forgotten about that. I wanted to be bound to you, and I couldn't think of a better symbol than keeping the rosary._

"I figure I'm better off with it, because more often than not, you use it to keep me from doing something stupid...or to make me think about what I said, after saying something stupid. And you saved my life with it once or twice. (3) And if I ever lost control of myself...it would be good for you to be able to subdue me. So I figure it's fine right where it's at."

Kagome smiled and clung to Inuyasha a bit tighter.

_My sweet hanyou. I must be the luckiest girl in the world, for him to trust me so much._

Then something caught Kagome's attention.

"Inuyasha...I think I can sense the jewel now. A little bit towards the south."

Inuyasha sniffed the air. "I smell blood. Both human and youkai." He promptly quickened his pace.

--

(1) Since all youkai should be sensitive to the jewel, I figured Kirara would also be, especially given that she was apparently Midoriko's companion (as suggested in the closing frames of one episode, which I forget the title of).

(2) A simple "mew" doesn't convey how kawaii Kirara's mewing is, but I don't know how else to spell it.

(3) See the third movie for an example of this.


	22. Reunion

Endings and Beginnings

Chapter 22

Several facts had weighed heavily against the bat youkai:

1. The Shikon jewel was much more difficult to embed than a single shard, unless one had a gaping wound to work with.

2. It was so captivated by the jewel that it didn't realize it had been followed, so it was in no rush to embed it.

3. It resided inside a hollowed-out tree, so it was easy to corner.

To be sure, it had still managed to put up a decent fight, and Kirara was driven back by the bat's silent screams. But in the end, Sango and Kohaku had been able to dispatch the vile creature and recover the jewel, sustaining only minimal injuries.

The demon exterminators sat on the ground, exhausted, and leaned against the very same tree. Hiraikotsu laid beside them, discolored by youkai blood.

As she rested, Sango lifted the tainted jewel up to her eyes to examine it.

_It's like staring into infinity, swallowing up my soul like the Kazaana. It's so peaceful. I can barely hear anything._

_If I forced it into a wound, my body would probably be healed. If broken in two and embedded in my legs, I would be faster than Kouga once was. Or if in my arms, maybe stronger than Inuyasha. If I swallowed it, it would remain in my belly and increase my constitution to the point that I would never again become hungry or tired._

_It's so very tempting._

"Sis! Sis!"

_Is someone calling to me? They seem so far away._

By now, Kohaku was shaking Sango, trying to get her attention, but wasn't making much progress.

Then Kirara bit her arm, causing her to drop the jewel.

_Ow!_

The world around her came back into view, as if waking from a deep sleep. She felt groggy.

"Sis?"

Sango rubbed her eyes, then looked up at her brother. "I'm sorry. I...don't know what came over me."

"You looked like you were in a trance."

Kirara returned to her smaller form again, and rested her head on Sango's leg.

Sango reached down to pet her. "Thank you, Kirara."

"Mew."

"Maybe I shouldn't be the one to carry the jewel back. I don't think my mind is strong enough to resist it."

Kohaku regarded the inky-black jewel on the ground. He'd had a taste of its power, thanks to the shard Naraku embedded in his back, and knew how overpowering it could be. "I'd rather not touch it, myself. Maybe we could scoop it into your bag."

Then they heard the familiar sound of someone landing nearby.

"Or you could just let Kagome take it back."

They turned to face the source of the voice.

Sango inclined her head and smiled. "Inuyasha! Kagome! I'm so glad to see you're all right!"

Inuyasha let Kagome down, and she ran to Sango's side, cringing at the sight of so much blood. "Sango, you're hurt!"

"Don't worry about me. It's all superficial." Sango noticed Kagome's bandages. "You look like you've been better, yourself."

Kagome shook her head. "I'm just badly bruised."

Inuyasha quickly spotted the bat youkai's corpse nearby. "I was so looking forward to slicing that thing to bits for hurting Kagome."

Sango smirked, gesturing towards the jewel. "I suppose you'd like that back."

Kagome nodded. "How did you ever find it in the first place?"

"Kirara seemed to sense it, and she took us on a detour."

Inuyasha gave an approving nod. "Good work, Kirara. When we get back to the village, I'll catch all the fish you can eat!"

"Mew!"

Kagome saw that the jewel had been tainted, and hesitantly reached to pick it up. Once it was in her hands, the purification process began, accompanied by a familiar burning sensation. She squinted her eyes and gritted her teeth for about a minute before the jewel was clear again.

"I didn't realize it hurt so much," Sango commented.

"I've never had to purify this much of the jewel at once before," Kagome answered. "A single shard barely hurts at all, but this is over a hundred times that. At least it wasn't completely tainted yet, or it would take a lot longer."

"Of course."

Kohaku turned to face Inuyasha. "Where are Shippou and Miroku?"

"We left them in Kaede's hut this morning while they were sleeping. Miroku was up all night, worried about your return."

Sango looked down, feeling bad. "I didn't mean to put so much stress on him."

Kagome stood up and helped Sango back to her feet. "Let's all go home, then."

--

Miroku stood up and embraced his fiancée as soon as she set foot inside Kaede's hut. "Sango!"

"Houshi-sama..."

Sango immediately felt a familiar sensation on her posterior.

She blushed, and grabbed hold of Miroku's wrists. "Making up for lost time already?"

"Of course. I had to ensure that your flawless body hadn't sustained unseen injuries." He liberated his hands and gently stroked a scar on Sango's cheek. What happened, my love?"

Kagome interrupted from the doorway. "Maybe we could let them rest a while and eat first?"

"My apologies. That is an excellent suggestion, Lady Kagome."

--

Kagome, Kaede, and Shippou got Sango, Kohaku, and Kirara cleaned up and bandaged, while Inuyasha went off to the stream to catch some fish, and Miroku went to help him carry them back.

As promised, Kirara got six choice, plump fish for lunch, which was more than she could eat in her small form.

Over lunch, Sango recounted everything that happened, and answered everyone's questions. Inuyasha and Kagome thanked her and Kohaku for saving the jewel.

Sango leaned over to Miroku. "Houshi, I know you'd like to spend some time alone with me, but I want to take a walk with Kagome first if you don't mind."

"Of course, Sango. Now that I know you're safe, I can wait a while longer."

Kagome and Sango stood up, and started out the door.

Inuyasha looked less than content about Kagome putting herself at risk again. "Kagome...since the jewel's almost finished, you're going to be an easy target as long as you carry it."

Kagome glanced down. "Maybe I should leave the jewel with Kaede for a little while."

Kaede stood up to accept the jewel. "I think that's a good idea, child."

Inuyasha nodded. "I'll stay here with Kaede until you return."

Kagome relinquished the jewel to the elder miko, and then she and Sango walked out of the small hut.

--


	23. Sisters

Endings and Beginnings

A warning, this chapter makes reference to a more serious subject matter than found in previous chapters. Accordingly, I've bumped up the rating for this fanfic.

Actually, what most people call "mature content" or "explicit" I instead call "immature". I consider present-day content rating systems to be all messed up.

And yes, this submission probably breaks my previous record for short time-span between chapters. Maybe it's a partial compensation for my previous procrastination. But I can't guarantee that this rate of production will continue for long.

--

Chapter 23

"Sango, Inuyasha finally proposed to me last night."

Sango smiled, and hugged Kagome. "I had no doubt he would eventually, but I didn't know how soon it would be. Congratulations Kagome, I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks. We're going to adopt Shippou as our own."

"That makes sense. I'm glad he'll have a family again...though you've practically been a mother to him all this time anyway."

"I suppose I have. Even Inuyasha seems to be taking on the responsibilities of fatherhood now."

Sango nodded. "It really changes your perspective, doesn't it? Parenthood, I mean."

"It does...though I'm sure I've only experienced the tip of the iceberg."

"What's an iceberg?"

"Sorry...it's an expression we use in my time. What I meant was, I have a lot to learn about being a parent yet, despite the few years we've had Shippou with us."

"I understand."

Neither said another word until they reached a pier on the stream and sat down. (1) They removed their footwear so they could dangle their feet into the cool water, as they had done numerous times before.

"Kagome, did I ever tell you how my mother died?"

_That's an awkward turn in the conversation._

"No, I don't think so..."

"It was when she gave birth to Kohaku."

Kagome reached over to hold Sango's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, it's not like it happened recently."

"Still, though, that's really sad. Especially for Kohaku, never being able to know his mother."

Sango nodded.

"What prompted you to bring this up?"

Sango leaned forward and looked down at her feet. "I've heard that childbirth complications tend to run in families. And Houshi...he wants to have lots of children."

Kagome blinked. "Sango..."

"I'm scared, Kagome."

"I'm sure he'll still accept you, just as I accepted Inuyasha when he told me he couldn't sire children."

"No, it's not quite the same."

Kagome looked confused. "How so?"

"You know how eager Houshi is to show his affections for me. His hands have a certain...itch, you might say."

Kagome nodded. "Yes...he's not very discreet about that."

"It's not a leap of logic to assume once we're married, he'll want to show his affections in _another_ way. How will I be able to refuse him when it comes to that? At least in my time, that's asking an awful lot. With you and Inuyasha...well, you won't have to be careful. At least in that respect, I really envy you."

Kagome blushed profusely.

_I'd forgotten about the lack of effective birth control in this era. Since it won't matter with Inuyasha, he might have frequent 'urges'...with his hanyou physiology regenerating him so quickly, I may very well end up having to 'sit' him often lest I become sore._

"Too much of a good thing can have dire consequences as well. Inuyasha may well become lecherous if I don't _train_ him using the Kotodama rosary."

_As lecherous as Miroku._

Sango had to chuckle at that thought.

"Kaede might know of a way to prevent pregnancy. Maybe something herbal?"

Sango shook her head. "I already asked her about it. She said she was unaware of anything that was effective."

"I'd offer to bring some contraceptives from my time...but with the well closing soon, whatever I brought back wouldn't last forever."

_I'd get a lot of strange looks if I tried to buy a lifetime's worth of birth control supplies on Sango's behalf. And my mother wouldn't react well if she found the cache before I smuggled it through the well. And I might alter history if some of what I brought back was discovered._

"Thanks, Kagome, but a supply that ran out quickly would be just as bad as none at all, in the long run."

"I see what you mean."

"How can I tell Houshi that the one thing he wants the most, may lead to the one thing I fear the most? I know that with you and Kaede present, my chances of surviving childbirth are greatly improved, but the risk remains."

"I don't know, Sango. I wish I could do something to help."

Sango looked up and turned to face her friend. "Kagome, just being here with me is helping. Before I met you, I didn't have anyone I could confide in. These past few years, you've been like a very close sister to me. I feel like I could tell you anything, and what we've just discussed is proof of that. Don't ever underestimate the power of a listening ear, or a shoulder to cry on."

"Sango...thank you for saying that. I've felt much the same way."

Sango smiled. "Kagome...there's actually something I've been thinking about asking you for a while now."

"What is it?"

"Would you mind terribly...if I called you my sister?"

Kagome smiled. "No, Sango, I wouldn't mind that at all."

They leaned towards each other and embraced.

--

(1) The same pier that appeared in episode 147 or 148, during the two-part flashback when Inuyasha kissed Kikyou. Though it might've rotted or burned and been rebuilt during those 50 years.


	24. A Compromise

Endings and Beginnings

Note: This chapter continues the same serious topic from the last chapter.

For some reason ffdotnet wouldn't let me upload this document as an Open Office file, but I could upload files in .txt format. I manually re-added the italics for the thought bubbles.

Chapter 24

Later that afternoon, Sango found Miroku sitting on a fence that formed the perimeter of one of the village's livestock pens.

"Houshi."

Miroku turned his head to see her as she approached. "Sango. Please, join me."

Sango climbed up to sit beside him.

Miroku wrapped an arm around her. "You never said how the trip to your old village went."

Sango leaned into his side. "Aside from the bat youkai, fairly uneventful. I showed Kohaku some things to try to jog his memory, but not much was familiar to him. The few remaining buildings there have seen better days."

"Do you still want for us to make our homestead here in Kaede's village?"

Sango nodded. "Yes. Everyone we care about is here, so I've already come to think of it as home, just as Kagome has."

Miroku tilted his head to smell the sweet fragrance of Sango's hair.

_She must've used some of Kagome's soaps. We'll have to reverse-engineer her supplies so we can make our own versions of them when the well closes.  
_  
"Have you seen the tree-house we're building for Kagome?"

"No, not yet. How is it coming?"

"We've only just started, but already one can tell it's going to be quite something. Unique, yet practical."

"I look forward to seeing it, then."

"Inuyasha offered to help build one for us. Ours could be similar, but I'd incorporate some additional rooms for our children."

Miroku's hand drifted downward.

Sango hesitantly reached for his wrist, not saying anything.

"Sango...what's wrong? You seem pensive."

"Houshi, there's something important I feel we need to talk about."

Miroku's facial expression showed a hint of concern, and he moved his hand back up to Sango's shoulder. "Tell me what troubles you."

Sango fidgeted with her hands and looked down at them. "When I took Kohaku to our old home, I showed him our mother's grave, and I told him how she died."

_I remember how she was moved to tears when she explained the consequences of his delivery to me.  
_  
"How did he take it?"

"He was distressed at first, blaming himself for having unwittingly taken both our parents' lives."

Miroku nodded. "Go on."

"I explained it wasn't his fault, that things sometimes just happen that are completely out of our control. Then over the next few days, I kept thinking back to that conversation, and how sad it was that he never knew our mother."

Sango paused, and wiped away a few tears.

"Houshi, there's no easy way to say this, because I know how much it means to you to have children..."

_Uh-oh.  
_  
"...But I'm deathly afraid that the same fate will befall me. Problems during childbirth tend to run in families...just like your Kazaana."

Miroku took a deep breath and silently pondered this.

_She must've been at least a little concerned about this before her trip with Kohaku. That would explain her reaction when I asked her how many children she wished to have, when we were riding Kirara after we defeated Naraku.  
_  
"Houshi?"

"Yes?"

"Are you terribly upset with me?"

Miroku blinked. "Upset? I could never become upset with someone over something they can't control." He tugged her a bit closer to him. "But disappointed at our situation, perhaps."

_All my life I anticipated continuing the family line._

Oh, dear...is she worried I'll reject her now? I need to reassure her that won't happen.  
  
"I love you, Sango, just as much as I ever did. You've made a lasting impression on me, one that transcends problems such as this. I still desire to marry you."

Sango relaxed noticably.

_I can't imagine how much it must've hurt her to fear rejection like that. I wish she'd brought the subject up sooner.  
_  
"If you fear childbirth, then we'll just have to ensure that you don't become pregnant. I cannot bear to have you troubling yourself over this."

"But Houshi, there is no way to guarantee that."

Miroku shook his head. "Actually, there are several ways."

Sango blinked, and looked hopeful. "What did you have in mind?"

Miroku hesitated. "Forgive me, some of these ideas may sound strange or eccentric to you. If something I say makes you uncomfortable, just say so, and we can move on to other options."

"I understand."

Miroku thought for a moment about how to word things. "The most extreme option...would be for me to undergo a procedure that would render me permanently sterile. There is a land to the west where guards of harems are castrated..."

Sango winced. "Houshi, no...please, not that. I don't want you to mutilate your body for me."

_Still, it's incredible to think he would offer to do that.  
_  
"I admit it's a rather disconcerting thought."

"What else did you have in mind?"

"I could curse one of us to become temporarily infertile."

Sango blinked. "I've never heard of anything like that before."

"The only problem is, I would have to repeat the curse each time, and it would take a certain amount of concentration and preparation."

"That sounds like a lot of effort to go through."

"I tend to agree."

"Was there another option?"

Miroku nodded. "Would could simply use alternate means of pleasuring. All that is required is a certain amount of creativity."

Sango blushed a bit.

_Creativity which you probably have in ample supply._

I hope she won't be offended by the idea...I'm really out on a limb here, and out of options. Still, I would never have imagined that we could have such an intimate conversation so easily.  
  
"Houshi, I'm willing to try that, when the time comes."

Now it was Miroku's turn to relax.

_Sango is such a blessing to me. Though we are afflicted, she's willing to compromise so we can still be intimate once we're married._

I'm so fortunate to have met Houshi. He loves me so much that he's choosing me over his posterity.  
  
Miroku's hand drifted downward again.

_Lecherous monk._


	25. An Overheard Conversation

Beginnings and Endings

Chapter 25

_We wasted the better part of two weeks trying to track down Naraku, and might never have found him if I hadn't defied my lord and asked that pesky flea for help. And what reward did I get for my efforts? Instead of thanks, I'm sent into the wilderness to find a tutor for that silly child, while he stays at home and gets pampered by his servants. If he sends me on another errand like this, I swear I'll leave him for good._

_On the other hand, once Rin has a tutor she probably won't be tagging along with us anymore. And that means I won't get stuck watching her alone. Could it be that he wants me to serve by his side again? Perhaps that is my true reward in and of itself?_

Jaken continued down the road until he reached a village. Then he relaxed his pace and started looking for people to question.

_These people don't seem to stare at me like the residents of the other villages did. Are they accustomed to youkai wandering about?_

He came upon a villager carrying two pails of water, the weight balanced across his shoulders by a stick.

"Excuse me sir, my master is in need of a tutor for his ward. Do you know where I might find one?"

The villager stopped and looked thoughtful. "No, but you might ask Kaede. She knows everyone in the village." He temporarily liberated a hand with which to point. "In that hut over there."

Jaken bowed. "Thank you for your trouble." Then he made his way towards the hut in question.

He could hear voices coming from within. _I'll just wait outside a moment and listen in..._

--

"After thy marriage, once thou hast settled down here, I will teach thee all that I can. Someday thou wilt surpass me and take my place."

Kagome looked doubtful. "Kaede, I'll do my best to learn from you, but I could never replace you."

"Nonsense, child. I see more potential in thee than thou seeist in thyself, because I know what to look for. Thou art only vaguely aware of the spiritual strength thou hast heretofore shown."

"Well, all I can say is, I hope your faith in me isn't misplaced..."

"Kagome, thou hast progressed so far, so fast...and with only minimal training. I think thy lack of self-confidence stems from Kikyou being the only person thou hast to compare thyself to. I will not deny that it will take thee years to catch up to her...however, I have seen thy progress first-hand, and I have been amazed. As I was explaining to Miroku the other day, with diligence there is no limit to what thou might become."

Kagome smiled a bit. _I love this woman. She's the closest thing I have to a grandmother, and she's taking me under her wing and encouraging me as if I were her own._

Kaede patted Kagome on the shoulder. "Trust me, and trust thyself, and everything will work out."

"All right, Kaede."

Kaede turned and sat by the fire in the center of her hut, as night was falling. Kagome joined her.

"Where is Inuyasha this hour?"

Kagome glanced out the door, imagining Inuyasha in the distance. "The last time I saw him, he was pulling Miroku aside to discuss something, but I don't know what. It might have been about the house they're building for me."

Kaede nodded. "He has matured so much since you came into his life, Kagome. One might say he's progressed as much as thou hast, just in different ways. I wouldn't have believed the changes in his attitude and behavior had I not witnessed them for myself. Thou hast been a good influence upon him, and I'm sure he will make a fine husband for thee."

Jaken's eyes widened to proportions only a kappa youkai could achieve. _What? Inuyasha is going to become the young miko's husband?_

"I agree he does seem to be more concerned about other people these days than when I first met him, but I think you give me too much credit, Kaede. When we were hunting for the shards, we became a surrogate family for him, and that slowly changed his perspective. He's never really had a family before, besides his mother when he was young. I think he gained something from each of us, just as I've gained something from each of them. Over time, subtle changes in perspective can really add up."

"Still though, he's shown a particular interest in thee right from the start, though he may not have admitted it. I daresay he paid more attention to you than to Miroku, Sango, or Shippou. Thou wast so quick to accept him even when it seemed certain that he would do anything in his power to take the shards from thee at his first opportunity. That certainly had more than a little impact on him."

Kagome nodded. "I suppose you're right. I know he's still rough around the edges, but...when I look at him, I can't help but think that I could die happy if he stayed the same forever. I like him as he is, rather than what he could be if he continues improving."

Kaede smiled. "If thou chose him without expectation of what he may be tomorrow, then thou hast chosen well indeed, but be warned that marriage will change both of ye in ways that you cannot yet fathom. Nothing can prepare one for that experience."

"Except a prior marriage," Kagome corrected.

"Aye. But every marriage is unique. Be patient, and thou will have the greatest chance of happiness."

_She's so wise for someone who's never been married herself. I'm lucky to have her as my teacher._

"Have ye picked a date for the ceremony?"

Kagome shook her head. "Probably a month from now, but I need to talk with Sango and Miroku about it. They might want to make it a double wedding. And I also plan to have a small ceremony back home, for my grandfather's and mother's benefit."

"Don't rush yourselves. The way I see it, thou hast all the time in the world."

Kagome smirked. "Somehow I worry that if I delay the ceremony too long, Inuyasha will start to worry about me changing my mind. Remember, his lack of self-esteem rivals even my lack of self-confidence."

--

_Lord Sesshoumaru will be displeased if I return before finding potential tutors for Rin, but I'm sure he'd want to know about this development right away._


	26. Sesshoumaru's Promise

Endings and Beginnings

Note: this chapter occurs about a day later than the end of the previous chapter.

Also, in case you were wondering, part of the delay between chapters 25 and 26 was due to my own sealing (temple wedding). Excuses, excuses...;)

Chapter 26

"Rin."

The young girl had been playing in the courtyard and engaging in her favorite pastime, namely, collecting the prettiest flowers she could find. When she heard her name called, she looked up at the person addressing her, then excitedly ran towards him, arms outstretched. "Lord Sesshoumaru!" She hugged his waist, then offered the bouquet she'd been assembling up to him. "I picked these just for you!"

As usual, Sesshoumaru's face gave no hint as to his emotions. He really didn't care for flowers as much as Rin did, but he supposed it was the thought that counted. "They have a pleasant fragrance," he declared.

Rin knew that a compliment from Lord Sesshoumaru was tantamount to a _thank you_, and she smiled even wider because of it.

"Rin, come with me. We will take these flowers to my private study."

Rin blinked. "But Lord Sesshoumaru said Rin is not allowed in the study." She knew that only Sesshoumaru's advisors, Jaken, and the occasional dignitary were allowed in there. She didn't even know what the room looked like.

One of the things Sesshoumaru appreciated about Rin was that she only had to be told things once, and by default assumed that any rule he set down was to be followed in perpetuity. For a fleeting moment, the corners of his lips slanted upward in the faint hint of a smile. "This Sesshoumaru will make a special exception for you today."

Rin's eyes widened. "Really?"

Sesshoumaru turned and began walking back towards the castle, knowing with absolute certainty that Rin would follow closely behind.

Rin was bubbling with anticipation.

Sesshoumaru led the way down to the end of the west wing corridor, earning more than one arched eyebrow from surprised staff members as they passed.

Finally, they arrived at a large oak door. Sesshoumaru opened it, and let Rin pass through first so he could observe her reaction.

The study was more opulent than Rin imagined. The chamber was spacious and rectangular. In the center was an elegant elliptical table low to the floor, made from a beautiful wine-colored hardwood, surrounded by soft cushions. A map of some sort had been painstakingly carved into the table's surface. The two long walls were adorned with bookcases, lush tapestries, and narrow windows with shutters. At the far end of the room was a stone fireplace. A thick fur rug laid on the floor before it, and upon the mantle was a stand holding a katana in an ornate sheath. Half of the bookcases' combined capacity was used for scrolls, records, and other texts; other shelves held inks and quills, wax and seals, various artifacts, and other items. Oil lamps provided adequate lighting at night or when the windows were shut.

Rin quietly made her way around the room, seemingly inspecting everything. Finally she found an empty vase on one of the shelves, covered with a fine layer of dust. Being too short to reach it, she gestured up towards it, and gave Sesshoumaru a questioning glance.

_I had forgotten about that old vase. _Sesshoumaru stepped towards the shelf, picked up the vase, and handed it down to Rin.

Rin used the cloth of her kimono to wipe away the dust, sneezing in the process, then set it down in the center of the table. She placed the bouquet into it and arranged it to her satisfaction, then smiled. "Rin thinks this vase is very pretty."

Sesshoumaru sat upon the cushion at the head of the table and regarded the centerpiece, narrowing his eyes and frowning slightly as a 200-year-old memory surfaced. _Why on earth did I keep that reminder of Father's dishonor? If it weren't for Rin, I'd throw the vase out the window._

Rin immediately picked up on Sesshoumaru's change in attitude. She stepped back, and bowed her head down.

_Perhaps I will get rid of it as soon as these flowers have wilted._

A meek voice regained his attention: "Lord Sesshoumaru, did Rin do something wrong?"

_I must not let my emotions control me. Especially not in front of her. _Sesshoumaru regained his calm, collected composure. "No, you have not done anything wrong."

Rin was confused, but nevertheless she breathed a sigh of relief.

Then she noticed the carvings in the table top, and traced her finger along one of the irregular lines. "What are these grooves?"

"That is a map of my lands." Sesshoumaru gestured towards a symbol on the map. "Here is where we are now."

Rin studied the map for several minutes, eventually finding a point of interest. "This is where Rin found Lord Sesshoumaru!"

Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow, then leaned forward for a closer look. Sure enough, she'd found a spot near her old village. "Indeed, it is." _Her memory is better than I would have given her credit for. She must've recognized the odd shape of the river where it passed by her village._

"Can we go back there?"

Sesshoumaru was taken aback. _I would've expected her to be deathly afraid of that place from her memory of the wolves attacking her._ "Why would you ever want to return there?"

"Because that is where Lord Sesshoumaru made Rin not dead!"

_Of course. She wants to commemorate my resurrection of her. Before that event, her life was pathetic even by human standards. By responding to Tenseiga's prompting, I unwittingly brought her into my life and became the absolute center of her universe. _"I do not see what visiting that grove would accomplish."

She pouted and looked back at him with huge puppy-dog-eyes.

He sighed. "Perhaps, if you are obedient and we happen to be traveling through the area." _Perhaps I can find a plausible excuse to visit her old village and make it appear as a coincidence._

"Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru!"

_What quality does this human girl have that makes me want to accommodate her? Why do I derive satisfaction from her contentment? How is it that she somehow factors into all of my plans? She seemingly contributes so little, yet I cannot bear the thought of dissociating myself from her..._

The heavy oak door creaked open, commanding Sesshoumaru's attention away from Rin. _I have not scheduled any meetings._ _One of my advisors must have an urgent need to see me._

A moment later, Jaken stepped into the chamber and bowed deeply. "Forgive my intrusion, Lord Sesshoumaru..." He then stood upright, and blinked twice upon seeing Rin. _What is that silly girl doing in here?_

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, not happy to have his time alone with Rin disturbed. "Jaken. I assume you bring me news?"

"Y-Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru. It is about Inuyasha--"

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes further. _This had better be good._

"He is going to be sealed!"

"To another tree, I presume...?" _I liked him better that way._

"No! To his miko companion!"

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened, showing something unusual: surprise. "Surely you are joking."

Jaken bowed again to Sesshoumaru. "No, I swear it is true!"

Rin blinked. "Lord Sesshoumaru, what does it mean to be 'sealed'?"

Sesshoumaru stood up and walked over to one of the windows beside the fireplace, through which he could see the setting sun. "Rin, it means that he is going to be married to the miko for time and eternity."

"Oh."

Jaken regarded Sesshoumaru for a moment. _He's not reacting like I thought he would. _ "Lord Sesshoumaru, aren't you angry that by so doing, he will further dishonor your family name?"

Sesshoumaru continued staring out the window. "No."

"But..." Jaken knew better than to argue the point, but was intensely curious as to why Sesshoumaru wasn't enraged.

Sesshoumaru turned around, fingering his chin. "Once Inuyasha is married, my promise to our father will be fulfilled. I will no longer be obligated to look after him."

Jaken just blinked dumbfoundedly. "What?...Promise?...But...you tried to kill him on more than one occasion!"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No. I have never honestly tried to kill him. I was merely testing him without his knowledge, and trying to make him aware of some of his own limitations, of which there are many."

Rin looked excited and asked, "Are we invited to the wedding?"

The sheer absurdity of the question made Jaken fall over backwards.


	27. Killing Two Birds with One Stone

Endings and Beginnings

Chapter 27

Sesshoumaru paced the floor of his study for a moment, thinking. "Jaken, compose yourself."

The kappa youkai obediently pulled himself up off the floor, narrowly avoiding getting stepped on, then turned to face Rin. "Silly child, Lord Sesshoumaru wouldn't be caught dead attending his half-brother's wedding! Inuyasha has done nothing to deserve such an honor!"

"Jaken."

_Uh-oh. _"Y-yes, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"Do not presume to know my will in all matters."

Jaken hung his head low, and sighed. "Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru." _Now he's making me look like a fool in front of Rin._

Rin clasped her hands together. "Does this mean we're going?"

Sesshoumaru crossed his arms. "Yes. I must, out of family obligation. Jaken, when is this ceremony to take place?"

"The young miko anticipated it being one month from now."

"I see. Then you must return to Inuyasha's village before that time to determine the exact date, discreetly. I do not wish my plans to be known. If Inuyasha expects me, he will certainly take measures to prevent my attendance. But if I arrive unannounced, then he must accept my presence lest he disrupt his own ceremony."

"As you wish, Lord Sesshoumaru."

"Lord Sesshoumaru, what will we give them for a wedding present?"

The taiyoukai arched an eyebrow. "It is not my style to give gifts."

Rin protested. "But we have to give them something! It's traditional!"

Sesshoumaru sighed.

For a moment, Jaken was certain Sesshoumaru would say something to silence Rin for her impertinence, and was mildly disappointed when no such reprimand came.

Sesshoumaru instead regarded the flower arrangement on the table. "If you insist, you may pick flowers and place them in that vase as a gift. No doubt Inuyasha will appreciate the vase more than me anyway."

Rin smiled. "Oh, flowers will be perfect! I'll find some wild white roses for them!"

Jaken blinked, and followed Sesshoumaru's gaze to the new centerpiece on the table. "Forgive me for asking, Lord Sesshoumaru, but why would your half-brother have any interest in that vase?"

Sesshoumaru returned to his cushion at the head of the table. After composing his thoughts, he explained, "The artisan who sculpted that vase and painted the sakura blossoms upon it...was a human woman by the name of Izayoi. Inuyasha's own mother. She gave it to my father sometime during their courtship...thus I inherited it, and for me it has been nothing but a symbol of my father's dishonor, which I would prefer to not have in my sight. So you see, it would make a particularly appropriate gift."

--

As a ray of sunlight struck her eyelids, Kagome awoke to find herself curled up in Inuyasha's arms, high up in the tree that would eventually support their house once it was completed. After making the mistake of looking down, she clung to her hanyou more tightly.

"Have a good sleep?"

"Inuyasha, I have to get to school. I have exams today..."

"Can't you stay here with me today, and make them up tomorrow?"

Kagome sighed. "No, it doesn't work like that. I have exams tomorrow too. I can't make these up if I miss a day."

"So tell me again why it's so important to take these exams?"

"Because if I don't take them, then I won't be able to graduate."

Inuyasha scratched his forehead, not understanding. "Would that be such a bad thing?"

She glared at him. "Yes!"

"Why?"

Kagome patiently explained, "Because if I don't graduate, then I'll have to take another whole year of school. And assuming I settle down here in the next month or two, and you make your wish so the well closes, all kinds of people will be hounding my mother demanding to know why I'm not attending classes. And if I don't graduate, then all the studying I had to do over the past few years would all be for nothing." She pinched her forefinger and thumb close together. "I'm this close to finishing, so I'm not going to quit now."

"Oh. Why didn't you just say so earlier? I would've respected the not-wanting-to-quit part. I didn't think of it that way."

"Can you take me back to the well now? I can't afford to be late."

"Sure." Inuyasha adjusted his hold on Kagome and brought himself to a crouching position, then hopped down via successively lower branches, finally landing on the ground. Then he carried her the short distance to the well, and set her down on the edge of it.

Kagome leaned forward to give Inuyasha a goodbye hug. "I won't be coming back tonight, because I promised Souta I'd take him to the carnival, and when we're done with that I'll probably want to go straight to bed."

Inuyasha's ears drooped a bit.

"Poor Inuyasha. You'll have to find something else to keep you occupied for a while."

"Feh! I have plenty of things to keep me occupied. A change of pace would be welcome, though."

_Hmmm. Souta probably wouldn't mind if I invited Inuyasha along. _"If you want, you could come to the carnival with us."

"When?"

"Come through the well an hour before sunset. Or a little earlier if you want to have dinner with us first. Actually, that would be best since then we could announce our wedding plans to my family together. Not that we've really made any."

"I'll be there."

Kagome couldn't help but smile. _Souta thinks of him as the older brother he never had. I'm sure tonight will be fun. _"I'm off to school, then." She turned and prepared to jump down the well.

Inuyasha coughed. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Hmmm? Oh!" Kagome pulled herself back up and give Inuyasha a long goodbye kiss.

Inuyasha blinked. "Erm...that's not what I meant."

Kagome looked confused. "What did you mean, then?"

"You need to give me the Shikon no Tama so I can give it to Kaede while you're alone in your world today."

Kagome sighed. _And I thought he wanted to share an intimate moment. Silly me. _"Fine then..." She removed the necklace and handed it over, then turned and jumped down the well without another word.

Inuyasha watched as she disappeared through the bottom of the well. _Did I say something wrong?_


	28. A Close Call

Endings and Beginnings

Sorry for yet another lengthy delay. It's been a long time since I was last in a creative mood...

--

Inuyasha watched as Kagome disappeared through the bottom of the well. _Did I say something wrong?_

Chapter 28

He backtracked to the tree and leapt up onto the platform that would eventually become the bedroom floor of the tree house. He sat down, dangling his legs over the edge, and surveyed the local lands. From his vantage point, he could see rice paddies, the river, the gap in the canopy that indicated the clearing where the time-travelling well was located, and the tops of some of the huts in Kaede's village. It was a million-dollar view, but "dollars" hadn't been invented yet.

Inuyasha was eager to continue working on the house, but knew he should return the jewel to the elderly miko promptly before it became too tainted; he didn't want Kagome to wince in pain again as she did when she re-purified the jewel after the bat-youkai had tainted it.

He pulled the Shikon no Tama out of a fold in his haori and held it up to his eye, squinting as he did so. _This stupid jewel...I've risked my life too many times because of it._ As he stared into it, it seemed to radiate warmth into his thumb and forefinger. He had enough presence of mind to check that he wasn't being watched, and then he cupped his free hand around it to shield it from prying eyes. _I really shouldn't be alone with this, it might tempt me like it did Sango...but a few more minutes shouldn't hurt..._

He couldn't help but imagine the rush of power he'd feel if he embedded the jewel in himself, even as it was, with a chink just big enough for the last shard to fit. _Sesshoumaru would be my chew toy. The look on his face when he realized I was both stronger and faster than he was, would be priceless. I could just cut myself and push the jewel into the wound...the flesh would heal quickly and not even leave a scar..._

Suddenly, someone—or something—landed on his upper back, and two tiny hands reached around his head and covered his eyes. "Gotcha!"

Startled, Inuyasha dropped the jewel to the ground below and simultaneously snapped out of his trance. His reflexes were sufficiently quick that he managed to knock his attacker off his back, leap to his feet, and assume a defensive posture in one breath.

The next thing Shippou knew, he was laying on his back with the business end of Tessaiga hovering over his throat. He trembled. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Inuyasha blinked, and realized what had happened. "Shippou..." He sheathed his sword and crouched down in front of the little kitsune. "You took me by surprise. The jewel—it had me spellbound." He reached out a hand to help Shippou up and show him there were no hard feelings.

By this time, tears were streaking Shippou's face; he realized how stupid it was to do what he just did, and how close he came to a premature demise. Shippou took the offered hand and pulled himself up, then clung to Inuyasha's leg. "I'm sorry," he repeated.

Inuyasha sighed. _He's probably afraid that I won't let him be part of our 'pack' now._ He picked up Shippou into his arms, then leapt down to the ground to retrieve the jewel before someone else stumbled upon it. "It's okay, Shippou. If you hadn't come along, I probably would've done something stupid with this. I guess...I guess it's good that you came along when you did." _I hope that calms him._

Shippou nodded in understanding, but was still too worked up to say anything. He used his sleeve to wipe his face dry, then buried his face in Inuyasha's haori.

"C'mon, let's get this to Kaede."

_--_

When Inuyasha reached Kaede's hut, he found a number of the village children playing some sort of game. Normally he would ignore them, but this time he couldn't. One was sitting on the ground, blindfolded, while the others walked in a circle around him, chanting:

Kagome Kagome Kago no naka no Tori wa  
Itsu Itsu deyaru? Yoake no ban ni  
Tsuru to Kame ga subetta.  
Ushiro no shoumen dare? (1)

Inuyasha blinked. "Nani?"

Shippou turned his head to look at the children. "It's a game they started playing not long ago."

"Why are they chanting Kagome's name?"

Kaede stepped out of her hut. Apparently she overheard the question. "It's because she's famous in the village now, and all the children adore her."

"Feh. Does she know about this?"

"I honestly don't know," the miko replied. "But I don't think she'd mind."

Inuyasha walked up to Kaede and handed over the Shikon no Tama. "It's best if you keep this until the afternoon. I would've been overcome by it weren't for Shippou."

Shippou smiled to himself. _I'm glad he doesn't seem mad at me._

Kaede nodded. "Very well. What are your plans this afternoon, then?"

Inuyasha explained, "I'm going through the well so I can be there when Kagome tells her family that we're going to be sealed. And then she's taking me to a carnival, whatever that is."

Kaede smiled. "I'm sure you'll have a good time."

Shippou pouted. "I wish _I_ could go with you."

Inuyasha looked down at the kitsune in his arms. "I don't think you'd like her world, it's full of scary machines that make loud noises. And they make smoke that causes the air to stink."

Shippou shuddered. "Why does Kagome like her world then?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Beats me."

--

(1) "Kagome Kagome" is a real Japanese children's game, in which one child (the "oni") sits blindfolded and tries to guess the name of the person behind him when the singing stops. If he's right, he trades places with the person behind him.

The lyrics roughly translate to:

"Kagome, Kagome, the bird in the cage,  
when will you come out?  
In the evening of the dawn,  
the crane and turtle slipped.  
Who stands right behind you now?"


	29. Encounter with a Mechanical Demon

Endings and Beginnings

Yes, I know it's been way too long since my last chapter, and I promise the next one will come soon...

Chapter 29

_71: Who is considered to be the first daimyou of the Sengoku Jidai?_

Kagome smiled a bit as she got to an easy portion of her history exam. Easy, of course, because she'd spent the past three years living a double-life in the very era her class had been studying. While she wasn't too familiar with the politics of the era, she couldn't help but pick up a few names here and there. With confidence she wrote the answer, "Houjou Souun". (1)

_72: Describe the economy of Edo during the Sengoku Jidai, with particular emphasis on agricultural trade._

_This is too easy..._

--

That afternoon, Inuyasha stood back and reviewed the progress that had been made on the treehouse earlier in the day. _I couldn't have done this without Miroku's guidance. Even Shippou is contributing a lot...he must really be looking forward to being part of our pack._

Suddenly, something bit his neck. He quickly swatted it, then looked in the palm of his hand to see what it was.

"Master Inuyasha!"

"Oy! I thought you'd pop up sooner or later...what've you been up to since we defeated Naraku?"

Myouga stretched his four arms about, trying to get his joints back into proper position after having been squished for the umpteenth time. _I really need to find a chiropractor._ "I've been visiting with Totosai. He came across a stone that fell from the heavens, and he wanted my opinion on it. How about you?"

"Well, Kagome and I are going to be sealed...and I'm building her a house." He gestured towards the tree ahead of him.

Myouga bounced up and down in excitement. "Oh, I'm so happy for you! I must say, I never suspected you'd be the type to settle down and start a fam...oh..." Myouga stopped bouncing, and cringed. "I apologize, Master Inuyasha, I forgot about the curse of the hanyou." (2)

Inuyasha nodded solemnly. "It's okay. I think I can still have a meaningful life with her."

Myouga rubbed his chin. "Of course. At least, for as long as Kagome lives..."

_I'd almost forgotten about that. What will I do when Kagome dies of old age?_ Inuyasha sighed. "Sorry, Myouga, but I have to go. I told Kagome I'd join her this evening."

_Baka! I shouldn't have brought up the curse or Kagome's mortality. I fear Master Inuyasha will have a lonely life after Kagome departs this Earth. _"By all means, do not let me delay you..."

Inuyasha flicked Myouga away as he customarily did (probably as retribution for having his blood sucked), then headed off in the direction of the Bone-Eater's well.

_Oy! And here I thought he was showing signs of maturity!_ Myouga shook four fists in frustration, then calmed down and made his way towards Kaede's village.

--

Inuyasha stepped into the Higurashi home and found Kagome's mother working in the kitchen.

"Oh, Inuyasha! Kagome isn't home from school yet, but feel free to wait for her in the living room, it shouldn't be long now. I have to step outside for a moment to speak with Jii-chan..."

Inuyasha nodded and headed to the other room. He sat down on the floor and leaned his head back against the wall, glad to have a quiet moment to himself.

Whirrr.

Thud!

Whirrr.

Thud!

Whirrr.

Thud!

_Nani? What the heck is that racket?_

Inuyasha leapt to his feet and looked down the hallway. Something small and round was scurrying about the floor, making noise as it did so, and changing direction each time it bumped into a wall. It smelled like dust...or, at least, the air in the hallway smelled like dust.

Inuyasha stared at it, uncertain what to think. Kagome's mother was nowhere in sight.

Whatever it was, it bumped into Inuyasha's foot with considerable force.

"Ow!" Inuyasha leaped back several feet and assumed a defensive posture. "Don't come any closer, you mechanical demon!"

The 'mechanical demon' ignored Inuyasha's threat and bumped into him again.

"That's it!" Inuyasha slashed at his attacker. "Sankon Tessou!" (3)

--

"I'm home!", Souta called out as he slipped off his shoes in the foyer. He turned and looked down the hall, then spotted Inuyasha standing over a mess of mechanical parts strewn all down the hallway. _Nani? _"What happened here?"

Inuyasha crossed his arms. "A mechanical demon of some sort invaded your home. But don't worry, I took care of it..."

Souta took another look at the mess on the floor. "You destroyed my mom's new Roomba?!" (4)

Inuyasha blinked. "Room-baaa?"

Souta face-palmed. "She's not going to be happy about this..."

Kagome then opened the door and stepped inside. "Mom, I'm..." She cut herself off as she saw the devastation before her, then looked up and saw Inuyasha slowly backing away. It didn't take long for her to put two and two together.

Inuyasha's ears drooped. _Oh, no..._

"Osuwari!" (5)

Thud!

--

(1) Probably no relation to the other Houjou clan we know of, since I think this one died out (but one never knows...). Houjou Souun started out as a lowly ronin, but took control of the Izu province in 1493 (today part of Shizuoka Prefecture).

(2) Recall that under normal circumstances, hanyou can't have children, since they are mules in the genetic sense and are therefore sterile.

(3) Iron reaver, soul stealer.

(4) Inspired by a recent addition to my household. For those who don't know, Roombas are robotic vacuum cleaners, the most successful domestic robot to date.

(5) Osuwari Sit!


	30. Double Date

Endings and Beginnings

Author's note: Sorry to keep you waiting for three months, but as I previously explained, my interests shift so quickly that it seriously interferes with my writing. I realize this must be annoying for you, but take my word for it that it's even more annoying for me.

If it's any consolation, I have most of the remainder of the story worked out in my head, so I should be able to pump out a few more chapters soon.

Chapter 30

While Inuyasha recovered from his close encounter with the floor (1), Kagome ran upstairs and changed out of her sailor fuku (2) and freshened up. Realizing that Inuyasha was probably just confused, she calmed down a bit.

Anger over the destroyed Roomba was quickly forgotten in the Higurashi household as soon as Kagome announced her engagement to Inuyasha over dinner. Jii-chan broke out the sake and all partook of it, though Souta's portion was quite small, owing to his youth. (3)

Mama Higurashi wiped some tears from her cheeks after finishing her meal, then shook her head to decline when Jii-chan offered to refill her glass. "Do you two have plans for tonight? Are you going back to Edo?"

Kagome shook her head. "No, actually, I promised I'd take Souta to the carnival...and I was thinking of taking Inuyasha along with us, if Souta doesn't mind." She glanced down at her little brother to gauge his reaction.

Souta shook his head. "No, I'd be happy to have him along!"

Mama Higurashi then arched an eyebrow at Souta. "You don't have any homework tonight?"

Souta shook his head again. "No, my teachers don't give homework so close to the end of the term, we're all studying for finals."

"All right, then. Go...but I want you back by nine o'clock, young man."

Souta beamed a smile back at his mother. "Thanks, mom!"

--

As the three left the house, Kagome held Souta's hand, and walked in the middle. She could tell that her fiance was irritable, so she felt quite awkward. _He's probably upset at his last "sitting". I can't say that I blame him. _"Inuyasha...you didn't say much all through dinner. I'm sorry about using the rosary, I was angry and it was force-of-habit..."

Inuyasha just grunted.

Kagome cringed. _I'm going to have to stop saying "Osuwari!" on instinct, or our marriage won't last very long._ "Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

"You said you didn't want me to remove the Kotodama no Nenju because it was a symbol of our bond...what if I instead just canceled the spell that makes it work?"

Inuyasha's eyes momentarily widened at the prospect. "I hadn't thought of that." After thinking about it for a moment, he sighed. "No, it would probably be best if you didn't. You might actually have a _good_ reason to use it again someday."

"But I trust you."

"Yeah? Well, I don't exactly trust myself. I don't ever want to hurt you, Kagome. I'd never forgive myself...I feel better knowing that you have the power to stop me. You're the only person I trust to have that kind of control over me. If I learned nothing else from all we've been through together, it's that."

_Wow, he doesn't really seem that angry now. _"That's...sweet, and flattering of you to say."

Inuyasha glanced at Kagome by his side, and hesitantly took her hand, something he knew she enjoyed, though he wasn't always comfortable with doing it. "I mean it. Don't kick yourself over sitting me earlier. Let's just try to have a good time tonight."

Kagome was a bit startled when he took her hand, but she didn't complain. _He's amazing how far he's come since we first met._ She gave him a light kiss on the cheek and smiled, walking closer to him now.

Souta rolled his eyes.

--

As soon as they passed the ticket booth, Souta dragged Kagome (and, by extension, Inuyasha) towards one of the game booths that had been set up. It featured a bow that was mounted to the counter, so it could pivot a few degrees in each direction, but not pose a danger to other patrons. The booth's operator beckoned the trio closer. "Shoot the bull's eye and win a prize! Two tickets will get you three tries!" The target was some fifty feet behind the counter, and the whole game was walled off with a fence so nobody could wander into the path of flying arrows.

Souta surveyed the prizes that were clipped to the fence. "Can I have some tickets, sis?"

Kagome nodded, and tore two tickets from the set she'd purchased.

Souta handed them over to the game operator, who then placed three arrows on the counter and stood out of the way. "Here you go, kid! Good luck!"

Kagome chuckled a bit while she watched Souta try to aim. The bow was a bit unwieldy for the young boy.

Souta grumbled after his first shot missed, then louder still after his second shot missed. After his third failed attempt, he was really frustrated. "Nuts!"

"Let _me_ try," Kagome suggested. "It can't be _that_ hard." She put two more tickets on the counter.

The operator was more than happy to have another customer. "You have to aim a bit higher than the bull's eye," he advised, assuming she had no experience.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I know what I'm doing."

Her first arrow, however, missed considerably. A sweatdrop of anime-ish proportions formed on her forehead.

"Don't worry, everyone misses on the first shot, miss," the operator said, encouragingly.

Inuyasha and Souta couldn't help but chuckle at her failure.

"Quiet, you two," she commanded as she loaded the second arrow.

Kagome concentrated for a moment, then released the arrow, and it struck the bull's eye.

"Wow!", Souta exclaimed.

"I knew you had it in you," Inuyasha said.

"This bow is rather awkward," Kagome lamented. "I had to get the feel of it first."

The operator stared at her, wide-eyed. "Excellent shot! Nobody's ever gotten two bulls-eyes, if you can do it, I'll give you _three_ prizes!"

"No sweat," Kagome said as she loaded the third arrow and concentrated again. She took considerably longer this time. Unbeknownst to her, a small gathering of spectators had formed behind her.

Thwap! Her third arrow _split _the second arrow and firmly planted itself into the target.

The gathering behind her roared with applause, startling her.

The operator stared at the target, dumbfounded.

Kagome bit her lip. "Er, sorry I broke your arrow, mister."

Even Inuyasha was impressed. "I didn't know you could do that, Kagome..."

"That was awesome, Kagome!", Souta said as he stepped up to her side.

"Of course," she smugly said as she ruffled her little brother's hair. "Which prize would you like?"

Souta took another glance at the prizes on display. "Are you sure?"

Kagome nodded. "Anything for my brother, even if he did laugh at me," she affirmed. "And Inuyasha, you can pick one too."

Souta ended up picking out a board game. Inuyasha chose a soccer ball.

Kagome requested a knapsack for herself. "My old one's falling apart," she explained.

--

After wandering around the carnival grounds for a while, the trio were down to their last few tickets. "Let's ride the ferris wheel!", Souta shouted, upon realizing that the queue was now considerably shorter than it had been earlier in the night. The wheel was set up on top of a small hill. He ran on ahead to get in line.

Inuyasha stared up at the ride. "What's the point of this thing, Kagome? It just goes round and round..."

"It's actually fun to ride," she replied. "Trust me."

Inuyasha shrugged. He and Kagome got in line behind Souta.

A young, female voice surprised them from behind. "Souta?"

They all turned around to see a young girl in line with them.

Kagome and Souta blinked. "Hitomi?", they said in unison. It was Souta's friend from school.

"Hi, I didn't know you were here!," she said. "Can I ride with you, Souta?"

Souta's cheeks turned beet red, and he nodded.

Kagome chuckled, and ruffled her brother's hair again. "It's a double date, then!", she teased.

Souta elbowed Kagome for that.

Since few people were riding at that time, Kagome and Inuyasha climbed into the seat following the one that Souta and Hitomi got into. Then the ride began moving.

Inuyasha was at first unimpressed, until they got above the treetops. Then his eyes widened. "I've never seen the lights of Tokyo at night before," he said. "Not from this high up..."

Kagome understood. "It is pretty, isn't it?"

Inuyasha didn't reply, he just held on to the bar and took in the sight in awe.

After a few turns, Kagome realized that Hitomi had inched towards Souta and was leaning into him. By the next turn, Souta had wrapped an arm around his girlfriend.

Kagome elbowed Inuyasha and whispered, "Look at Souta, that's so sweet!"

"Hrm?" Inuyasha took a look at his future brother-in-law. "What about it?"

Kagome sighed and turned her attention to some other sight in the distance. "Nevermind."

It took Inuyasha a minute to clue in, but once he did, he mimicked Souta and wrapped an arm around Kagome.

Kagome closed her eyes, leaned into Inuyasha, and smiled.

--

(1) See last chapter.

(2) You don't expect her to wear her school uniform _all_ the time, do you?

(3) I'm under covenant to abstain from alcohol because of my faith, and I feel guilty even to mention its consumption in a fanfic, but I included the reference to be realistic per my understanding of the Higurashi family. Lest I be called a hypocrite, let me state that I don't advocate the use of alcohol as a beverage. I'm not trying to be preachy, but I'd lose sleep if I didn't include this disclaimer. No flames please.

(x) This chapter ignores the fact that Inuyasha shouldn't be able to bring Tessaiga past the carnival's ticket booth. Consider it poetic license. No, I don't think he'd be able to hide it inside his clothing, nor would he set it aside somewhere.


	31. Mortality

Endings and Beginnings

Author's note: Sorry this chapter is even shorter than normal, but I needed to move the plot forward and there's not a whole lot that had to happen in this scene.

--

Chapter 31

One afternoon a few days after Kagome's graduation, Kagome and Souta were sitting together atop the roof of the Higurashi home. It was something Souta was oft to do; sometimes he went there when he wanted inspiration for drawing in his sketchbook, while other times he went there just to be alone. But today he asked his sister to join him. They ate sandwiches for lunch in a sort of mini-picnic.

"Sis?"

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking, if the well closes up, there's still a way for you to send messages to us, so we'd know what happened to you."

Kagome turned her head to face her brother. "Oh? What did you have in mind?"

"At the end of the school year, our class buried a time capsule that won't be opened for fifty years. You could do the same thing."

Kagome nodded. "That's a good idea. At the very least, I could put a journal in it for you all to read. We'd just have to agree on a location beforehand."

"Are there any landmarks on the other side of the well that are still here today? Besides the well itself?"

Kagome thought for a moment. "Well, there's the sacred tree, and the graves of the former shrine maidens, and...oh, I wonder if Izayoi's headstone is still there..."

"Who's Izayoi?"

Kagome explained, "Inuyasha's mother. Sango once mentioned that Inuyasha tended her grave periodically, so I asked her to show me where it was. It was within walking distance of the sacred tree, so it might even be on our property. Want to take a look?"

"Sure."

The siblings climbed down from the roof, and Kagome led her brother through the grounds and deep into the wooded area surrounding the family shrine.

--

"Hmmm, I was sure it was around here somewhere..."

Souta rolled his eyes. "That's what you said half an hour ago."

Kagome sighed. "I can't help it if there's more trees and vegetation here in the present than in the past."

Then, Souta found a moss-covered stone at the foot of a tree. "Could this be it?"

Kagome rushed over to his side and knelt down. "I think so." She scraped some of the moss away. "Yes, this is definitely it."

Souta walked around the tree. "Hey, there's another headstone on this side."

Kagome blinked. "I don't remember one being over there." She got up and joined him to investigate.

Souta scraped away the moss on the stone, then tried to interpret the engraved name upon it. "I can't make it out. Maybe you can?"

Kagome crouched down beside him to study the slightly larger grave marker. Immediately, she gasped. "Oh my..."

"What is it, sis?"

Kagome stared at the engraving and traced it out with her finger. "It reads, _Lord Inuyasha."_

Souta stared at it, then watched Kagome, unsure of what to say.

Kagome was deep in contemplation. Of course she knew that her fiancé wasn't immortal, but somehow the foreknowledge of his eventual death was deeply upsetting to her. "I'm...glad it doesn't have a date engraved into it. That would be too much to know."

Souta nodded silently. He wondered where his sister would be buried, but at least he had the tact to not bring up the subject. _I would've expected her to be buried beside Inuyasha, but there's only the two markers, for him and his mother._

"Let's go, Souta. And...please promise me that you won't tell Inuyasha about his headstone."

"Why not?"

"Because so doing might cause him to second-guess everything he did from then on. If I knew in advance that my life would be cut short..." she trailed off.

Souta could see the reasoning in that. "Okay, I promise."


End file.
